


Golden Child

by VintageGirl71



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Best Friends, Childhood, Childhood Friends, Childhood Sweethearts, F/M, False Memories, Friends to Lovers, Golden Child - Freeform, Growing Up Together, Kid Henry Mills (Once Upon a Time), Magic, Memories, Teen Henry Mills (Once Upon a Time)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-09
Updated: 2019-06-24
Packaged: 2020-02-28 20:05:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 29,163
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18763270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VintageGirl71/pseuds/VintageGirl71
Summary: Yazi Scarlett, also known as Aria Griffin, was never an ordinary girl. Abandoned by her parents when she was barely a toddler, she had no past and no family. Even when Mary Margaret Blanchard decided to foster her and she was finally happy, it still felt like something was missing in her life. A missing piece of the puzzle. And when she meets Henry Mills, he might actually have the answer she had been looking for all along, the answer to the question every single person on earth asks themselves at one point in their lives. Who am I?





	1. The Beginning of Everything

**Author's Note:**

> ACT 1  
> “Things will get better if you just hold on to hope”

**Enchanted Forest, many years ago.**

_A five year old girl was staring at her reflection. She had emerald eyes and golden hair, which was combed into perfect waves._

_“Mommy, what’s this?” she asked, looking at something on her shoulder through the mirror. Her mother, Elizabeth, approached her and saw that she was staring at her birthmark, a star, with a frown._

_“That is called a star” replied the woman, kneeling down beside her “Do you know what a star is?” Yazi Scarlett shook her little head softly “Do you remember all those twinkling lights you see through your window during the night?” she nodded “Those are stars”_

_“So, I’m a star?” asked the girl trying to understand, and her mother chuckled softly._

_“Yes, you are” she nodded “But you are a different kind of star” upon seeing her daughter’s curious glance, she kept talking “Each one of the tips represent something about you” Elizabeth didn’t want her daughter to be ashamed of the birthmark, she wanted her to embrace it. That mark symbolized that she was meant to do extraordinary deeds. Thanks to that and some other things, she would soon be known as the Golden Child; a child capable of doing what others couldn’t, and the most wanted girl in the entire Enchanted Forest, but nor her parents or her knew about it._

_At least, not yet._

_A couple of more years needed to pass ‘till they figured out what the star meant exactly “You will have to find out those things on your own, but I’ll help you with the first one” she touched the first tip of the star “This one represents kindness. Always be helpful towards others, and treat them nicely. Don’t ever lose that, Yazi”_

* * *

 

**Present Time**

A blonde girl was sitting on a couch in an apartment on a little town called Storybrooke. Even though she had recently moved in, she knew that loft like she knew her name. She knew every single object in there; she knew every squeaking wooden board, every picture.

Afterall, she considered it home. And everyone should know their home.

She didn’t have the memory of any other home. As far as she knew, she had lived in the Blanchard Loft with Mary Margaret Blanchard all her life, since her parents abandoned her when she was barely a toddler.

Aria Griffin liked the teacher. She was a kind person whom she had grown to love; and Mary Margaret loved the blonde girl, too. Loved her so much, that couldn’t stand the thought of Aria living in an orphanage her whole life, not really knowing what it was like to have a family.

“Aria, have you seen my book?” asked Mary Margaret to the girl, who was reading peacefully on the couch. Upon hearing her voice, she looked up at her.

“Which one?” there were lots of books in the apartment, 50% of them belonged to Aria, and the other half to the woman. She had to be more specific.

“It’s a big one with a brown cover and golden letters” the blonde immediately realized which she was talking about.

“Once Upon A Time?” it was the only one she could think of at the moment, and she was right, because the woman nodded “It’s in my room, let me fetch it for you” she left the book in the small table and went upstairs, coming back with the other one in a few seconds. With a smile, she handed it to the woman.

“Thank you”

“What do you need it for?” asked the girl as the woman grabbed her purse and keys.

They had discovered that book hiding in a box in the closet two months ago, around the same time Aria moved in. Mary Margaret had no memory of ever seeing it there before that.

“A boy in the class it’s going through a rough time, and I believe that this book could help him overcome it. Fairytales are a really powerful thing” Aria nodded in agreement. Fairytales always had happy endings, and that could make anyone believe in hope.

“Who is he?”

“Henry”

“The mayor’s son?” Mary Margaret had told her about him a couple weeks ago, she remembered he was twelve years old, like her, and he was adopted.

“He has recently found out that he is adopted, and you know how that is” indeed she knew. Things like that could really someone.

“Poor thing…” she shook her head, he seemed like a really nice and sweet boy.

An idea then occurred to her.

“Do you want me to give it to him?” the woman looked at her surprised. That was actually a good idea, if there was someone who knew what the boy was going through, was Aria. She had gone through a rough time too; she was still going through it even if she didn’t say anything. Mary Margaret knew; it’s not easy to come to terms with the fact that you were abandoned, or that your parents didn’t want you.

“That is a great idea!” she agreed, handing the book to her.

* * *

 

_First, there was the thundering of hooves galloping. Second, the whispering of the crowd as a black and white carriage pulled over in front of the village. Thirdly, the Evil Queen came out, wearing an all-black dress. The villagers all took some steps back, as the queen pierced them with her smouldering gaze._

_“I’m looking for someone” she spoke up, her voice firm “Someone that I know is hidden somewhere here. So who will be the hero and tell me where she is?” there was a deadly silence, and Regina wasn’t an especially patient person “Nobody?” she scanned the crowd of people, nobody dared to look back._

_“Yazi, come here” the eleven year old girl’s mother called, almost in a whisper as her father stood by the window, curtain slightly opened, keeping watch._

_“What-what’s going on?” the young one questioned, her heart pounding rapidly as she approached her mother by the backdoor. There was something wrong, she could tell by the faces of her parents. And she assumed it probably had to do with the woman outside of the house, terrorizing the village. Everyone knew who she was._

_“Listen, sweetie” Elizabeth stated, grabbing her daughter’s hands tightly “You’re no longer safe here” the girl frowned, as she gave the window a brief look. She immediately gazed away when she saw Regina holding a shiny red thing in her hand. Her stomach stirred._

_“Is-is she looking for me?” her voice was trembling. Her parents had always told her how beautiful, but dangerous her powers were. They had warned her that people sooner or later would come looking for her, she didn’t understand what they meant as a child, but now she finally did._

_“Yes” her mother said almost in a breath, and the girl felt tears springing her eyes “Yazi, look at me” she ordered, firmly but softly, and her daughter obeyed “Remember your birthmark?” the girl couldn’t bring herself to speak, there was a lump in her throat, so she just nodded “The five values, recite them to me now” pounding was heard in the door, and as Yazi’s father went to open it, Elizabeth grabbed the girl’s cloak from the hanger and they stepped outside, hidden from the other side of the house._

_“Kindness” she began saying, her breath shaking as screams were heard from the front door._

_“Don’t listen to it, keep going” Elizabeth ushered, placing her daughter’s face between her hands._

_“Compassion” her father’s angry voice came from the other side, he was talking to someone “Fairness” more screaming, a woman’s, and she sounded angry “L-love”_  
_“One more, keep going” Elizabeth said, as a bright orange light was seen behind her, back in the house, but Yazi kept her gaze nailed on her._

_“Intelligence” she finished, and her mother nodded._

_“The world will not be kind to you, Yazi” she stated solemnly, her eyes serious as she knelt down and placed the grey cloak around her shoulder, tying the golden strings into a small bow “You will meet people who will want to extinguish your flame, your light. You mustn’t let them” the tears in the girl’s eyes began to fall softly, as she came to the realization of what was about to happen “You cannot let them keep you down, you cannot allow them to tell you who you are” behind her, the girl spotted Regina approaching the backdoor, approaching them, but she forced herself to ignore her, and look only at her mother’s eyes “You must always remain true to yourself, no matter what anyone thinks. Promise me you’ll do that”_

_“I-I promise, mom” she said, between sobs. The woman smiled sadly at her, placing the hood over her head. Her thumb caressed her cheek, sweeping some of her tears away._

_“I love you, Yazi” she breathed out, her own voice trembling as she pulled her only daughter into a tight hug._

_“I-I love you too”_

_“Now go!” she ordered, and just as the girl began running away, the back door was opened. Looking back, the last thing Yazi saw was the wicked smirk planted on Regina’s face, a smirk that would not let her sleep for a very long time. The smirk she would remember for years to come._

* * *

 

After classes were over, Aria spotted Henry sitting at one of the tables, far from everyone else. She began to approach him, with the book safe in her backpack.

“Hey” she greeted, taking a few steps forward. The boy turned to look at her curiously, probably not knowing exactly who she was. They were in the same class, but they only knew each other by name.

“Hey” he replied simply.

“You are Henry, right?” she knew it was him, but she wasn’t just going to sit with him as if they were old friends. They had to introduce themselves properly before anything. The boy nodded “I’m Aria, Miss Blanchard’s foster daughter” now it had to ring a bell.

The blonde girl sat across from him, and took the book out of her backpack “She wanted me to give you this” she slid the book across the table so Henry could grab it “She knows, and I do, too, that you’ve been going through a hard time lately, and this could really help you” the boy opened the book in the first page, which showed the tale of Pinocchio. He stared at it for a few minutes, before raising his gaze.

“Looks like fairytales to me” he said, and the girl leaned closer.

“And what exactly do you think fairytales are?” they were hope. She had read that book everyday since she had moved in with Miss Blanchard, she loved fairy tales. It reminded her that things could get better, which for her they had.

They smiled at each other.

“They are a reminder that our lives will get better if you just hold on to hope” Henry looked back at the pages in the book “Your happy ending may not be what you expect, it could be better. It’s unique for everyone, and that is exactly what makes it so special” Aria had always been wise beyond her age “You can have that” she motioned to the book “It helped me, now it will help you” Henry turned a few more pages and found the fairytale of the Golden Child, and the protagonist seemed familiar.

“Aria” he looked up, and it didn’t take too much imagination to picture her in the outfit of the book. The brown dress and grey cloak, the wavy hair. They could practically be the same person “Thank you” the girl smiled.

“You’re very welcome” Henry kept flipping through the pages of the book, while the girl tried to figure out what to say. She finally did “Hey, I kind of know what you are going through” the boy raised his gaze and looked at her with curiosity “My parents abandoned me when I was little, I never really knew them. We may not know each other much, but I’m here if you want to talk, or if you ever want to get an ice cream” Henry smiled, making the girl smile, too. With nothing left to say, she stood up, walked a couple of meters, but then turned back to him, an idea emerging “In fact, I was about to get an ice cream right now, do you want to come?”

“Sure!” he closed the book and followed the girl, as Mary Margaret Blanchard watched in the distance with a bright smile on her face.

That was the beginning of everything.


	2. Moon Sickness

Never had Aria felt so ill ‘til the morning after her meeting with Henry. Her body hurt, her head was spinning and her throat ached.

She had to use all her strength to get up from the bed before going downstairs, and tell her foster mother that she didn’t think she would be able to go to school that day, which was shame ‘cause she really wanted to talk to the boy again; she had a great time with him the previous day, when they went for ice cream. He was a very lively and cheerful person, despite everything he had been going through, and probably was still going through.

Her body felt weaker with every step she took, and she lost balance several times on her way down, having to hold onto the rail so as not to fall.

“Good morning, Aria!” greeted Mary Margaret happily, looking at the girl, but her smile faded when she saw the state she was in “Are you okay? You look pale” she approached the girl and placed her hand on her forehead, to see if she had a fever.

“I don’t feel so well”

“You’re burning up” announced the woman “Off to bed. There’s no school for you today”

* * *

 

_Seven-year-old Yazi Scarlett was resting on her bed with just her mother for company, since her father had gone to get some water from the well._

_“How do you feel, honey?” asked Elizabeth sweetly, sitting in front of her coughing daughter._

_“My head hurts, mommy, and my throat, too” replied the little girl with another cough, causing her mother to look at her sympathetically._

_“I know, sweetie” she replied, bringing the girl in for a hug “I know” she caressed her hair lovingly._

_Yazi’s powers came from the moon. During the full moon, she was very powerful, but during a new moon, especially the first day, she was weak and sort of ill, since there was no moon. Today was the latter case._

_“Will this happen every new moon?” asked the girl when Elizabeth let go of her._

_“I’m afraid so, honey” nodded the woman solemnly, making her sigh._

_“I want to go out and play!” Yazi complained, folding her arms “I hate these powers” she decided, in a very seven year old manner._

_“I know you are angry, Yazi” started Elizabeth patiently. She didn’t blame the girl for her attitude; she, in her place and at her age, would have felt angry too “But your powers are beautiful!” of course they were dangerous too, but beautiful nevertheless “I mean” she stood up “Look at these!” she motioned to a wooden table by the door, which was full of golden flowers she had created “These are beautiful, sweetie”_

_Both, Elizabeth and William, had agreed not to tell anyone about their daughter’s magic and to not use it for their own purposes. She needed to be protected, because, while her powers were meant to do great things, they were also dangerous. And in the wrong hands, they could bring tragedy._

_“You are a very special girl, and you should be proud of that” she poked Yazi’s nose, making her chuckle “And not just because of your powers. You are a beautiful person, inside and outside, and one day you’ll grow up to be a wonderful young woman, I’m sure of it!”_

* * *

 

Henry got up happy of going to school for once, since Aria would be there, and that’s something he was absolutely looking forward to. Not only because she was nice, which she was, but because he had read many of the stories in the storybook that the girl had given him the previous day, and he found many similarities between the characters from the book and the people he saw on the daily, and he had an idea why.

The last chapter of the book was about the Evil Queen (Regina) casting a curse on the Enchanted Forest, where all the fairytale characters lived, so they would forget who they were and lose their happy ending. It sounded crazy, but he was convinced it wasn’t. He hoped Aria would believe it as well, since he would need her help.

But he was surprised when he didn’t see the girl in class. He looked for her in the halls, in the courtyard, but didn’t find her. At first, he assumed that she was arriving late, but when he didn’t see her at lunch either, he started to get worried.

That’s why, at the end of the day, he went to talk to the one person who could tell him what was going on.

“Miss Blanchard?” he called softly, causing Mary Margaret, who had been putting some books in her bag with a troubled expression, to look at him and smile kindly.

“Henry, hi!” she greeted cheerfully“You’re here because of Aria, aren’t you?” she guessed, and she was right.

“Yeah” Henry nodded “Why wasn’t she at school today?”

“She wasn’t feeling well” replied the woman with a frown, worried about her foster daughter “I let her stay at home, but tomorrow she’ll be better” the boy furrowed his eyebrows, thinking back to the story of Yazi Scarlett that he had read in the storybook.

Yazi Scarlett was a special girl known as ‘The Golden Child’, the Golden Child had the power to turn things into gold, and she/he was also immune to certain magic spells.

“Today is a new moon” he mumbled to himself. Yazi Scarlett looked exactly like Aria, in fact, Henry was sure that Aria was Yazi Scarlett. If he took that into account, why she was sick made a lot of sense.

“What did you say?” questioned Mary Margaret, frowning in confusion at him.

“Can I visit her?” Henry replied with another question; he had to tell her about his discoveries, and her Enchanted Forest persona.

The teacher’s confusion vanished when she heard that.

“Sure!” she replied “I was just about to go back. You can come with me, but tell your mom first. I don’t want to make her angry”

* * *

 

After three hours of reading _Percy Jackson_ and watching _Teen Wolf_ in her Netflix account for four more, Aria Griffin decided that she hated being sick.

She loved reading, yeah, but she could get bored after three hours, as most kids her age. And though Teen Wolf was great and kept her on the edge of her seat, it could get tedious to hear the same opening theme for four hours. It was constantly repeating in her head by now.

She was almost begging for something fun to happen, and seems her prayers were heard ‘cause she immediately heard the door downstairs opening.

“Aria, I’m home!” Mary Margaret’s voice came from the floor below, and some seconds later she was in front of her “How are you feeling?” she asked sweetly.

“Better” replied the girl, but she was lying. She felt terrible, even more so than before, but she didn’t want to worry her.

“That’s good to hear” nodded the woman, believing her words “I brought some company that might make you feel better!” she announced, making Aria look at her surprised when Henry appeared behind her.

“Henry!” she exclaimed, a little bit more excited than she intended “It’s so nice to see you!”

“You too” replied Henry with a smile. Mary Margaret smiled at both of them as the boy sat on the bed.

“I’ll be downstairs if you need me” she said, before leaving the room.

“What are you doing here?” asked Aria with a smile once her foster mother left the room.

“I didn’t see you at school today” he replied “I-I was a bit worried” her smile only grew upon hearing those words.

“You were worried about me?”

“Yeah, I-I mean…Uh…” he stuttered nervously, making her chuckle at his awkwardness.

“That’s very nice of you!” Henry grinned at her upon hearing that “I’m glad you came” she admitted, making the boy look at her surprised “I was getting extremely bored here on my own”

“Well, you are not on your own anymore”.

“Did you read the book I gave you?” she questioned, leaning forward on her bed with interest.

“Yeah!” he replied, suddenly remembering why he was there, he sort of had forgotten while talking to his friend “I wanted to talk to you about that” Aria looked at him curiously as he took the book out of his bag, and left it on the bed. He started to go through the pages, ‘till he reached Yazi Scarlett’s story. He turned the book in her direction, so she could see the picture clearly “Who is that?” he gestured to the girl in the illustration.

“Yazi Scarlett” replied Aria promptly; she had read that book a thousand times, and she never got tired of it “The Golden Child”

“Exactly” agreed Henry “Doesn’t she remind you of someone?” the girl frowned, not understanding what he was getting at “It’s you” he said, causing her to look at him surprised.

“Henry, I might be many things, but the Golden Child is not one of them” she replied kindly “I’m nothing out of the ordinary”

“Think about it” he urged “Yazi always got sick during a new moon, right?”

“Well, yeah, because of her powers, but…”

“Have you ever gotten sick before?” he asked another question, confusing Aria even more.

“Uhm…No, I don’t think so” she replied “Which proves my point. The Golden Child gets sick during a new moon, and I’ve seen many new moons”

“Yeah, but time was always frozen during those”

“Okay, now you are confusing me” admitted the girl. The confusion didn’t help her dizzy head.

“It makes sense” replied the boy, and proceeded to explain it clearly for her to understand “The Evil Queen casted a spell on the inhabitants of the Enchanted Forest, to steal their happy endings, and send them to the real world, without memories of their previous life. Yazi Scarlett was one of the characters, the legendary child known as the Golden Child, who could turn things into gold. Her powers came from the moon, she was stronger during a full moon, and weaker in a new moon” he made a pause, as Aria tried to process everything she had heard, before continuing talking “You got sick for the first time in a new moon since you came to Storybrooke, because things are about to change”

“Okay” Aria spoke up, trying to connect the gears in her head, which made it hurt even more, but she had to try, for Henry “So, what you are saying, is that I’m Yazi Scarlett, the Golden Child from the fairytales, but I don’t remember that because the Evil Queen casted a curse to make us all forget who we are?” she asked, wondering if she had missed anything. She didn’t think so.

“Exactly” said Henry, happy that she understood.

“Henry, I-I’m not saying I don’t believe you” started Aria, trying to figure out exactly what to say so as not to make him feel bad “But do you realize how crazy that sounds?”

“I know” nodded the boy “But look at this” he turned the pages, ‘till he reached the illustration with Snow White, Prince Charming, and their daughter, Emma “Snow White and Prince Charming sent their newborn daughter through a magical wardrobe to our world, with the promise that she would come back to save you all from the curse”

“But Emma could be anyone” shot the girl logically, doing her best to keep his hopes up. She was having a hard time believing what Henry was telling her, but wanted to try, and she would. She would try to believe his crazy story.

“I might know exactly who she is” said Henry with a smirk, making Aria arch her eyebrows.

* * *

 

“You want to look for your birth mother in Boston?” questioned the girl in disbelief “Are you crazy, Henry? That is dangerous! You don’t know what’s out there!” if she felt stronger, she would have been pacing around the room anxiously, but she didn’t, so she stuck to the bed.

“Neither do you”

“Well, Yazi Scarlett does!” she replied. According to the book, Yazi had ended up in the real world for some reason at one point of her life. That was only one of the many adventures she had lived after escaping the Evil Queen “And she’s telling you that it’s dangerous” Henry couldn’t help but chuckle upon hearing her comment.

“At least you accept that you are the Golden Child” he said with a smile “Emma may be the only person that can free you from the Evil Queen’s curse”

“Regina is not that bad, is she?”

“I need to do this, Aria” he replied, avoiding the question.

She stared at him for a few minutes. Seeing the determination in his eyes let her know that he was not going to change his mind.

“Fine” she sighed, making Henry smile “But promise me you’ll be careful”

“I promise”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So now you know what Aria/Yazi’s powers are exactly! 
> 
> Also, concerning the flashback; as you have seen, it happens before Regina attacks her village. Not all the flashbacks are going to be in chronological order, especially because some of them involve characters that appear later into the series, and I want to wait until I reach the actual season to write them, just like the show did. But I can say, that the timeline will be a bit more clear than in the series, in which is a mess and I think that not even the showrunners could keep track of it, which is kind of expected if there’s so many seasons. 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and thanks for reading! Hopefully the next one will be up on Wednesday, so stay tuned!


	3. Fated Meetings

_She just ran._

_She didn’t know to where, she didn’t know how far she was from her village, she didn’t even know how much time had passed since she began moving. All she knew was that: A- Regina, aka the Evil Queen, was looking for her, to capture her and do who knows what with her B-She couldn’t go back to her village and C-Her parents were dead._

_She had never seen the evil queen in person until the moment she stepped in her village, but she had heard rumours about her. As had everyone else in the enchanted forest. Rumours about the terrible things she had done, the many villages she had destroyed and the many people that had succumbed under her power. She was supposed to be the next queen since her husband died and her step daughter was MIA, but nobody wanted to be under her rule. She was cruel, ruthless and unforgiving; her parents didn’t stand a chance against her. They were, most definitely, dead, and all because of her. Because they wanted to protect her, because they wanted to give her her best chance in life._

_And what a chance, huh. She was an eleven year old girl who had never left her village to do anything but get water from the well, and now she had to survive in an unknown world all by herself. It wasn’t like she could just ask for help to anyone, she didn’t know anyone, she didn’t have anyone to trust other than her parents, and now they were dead. Thanks to her. She was never going to be able to forget that. It was going to be a permanent reminder, and open wound._

_“Where are you running off to?” she heard a male voice asking, making her stop abruptly as she stared at him. He looked her father’s age, he had brown hair covered in a red sack hat, a stubble beard and green eyes. There was a wooden cart with goods behind him, a merchant probably. Yazi had seen many of them passing through her village, and they always had something with objects of all kinds, be it a backpack or a cart “Where are your parents?” he asked in a friendly manner “Are you lost? If you know your way back home, my wife and I can take you there”_

_‘Wife’? Yazi frowned, there was nobody around but him._

_Her mind was screaming warnings at her, telling her she shouldn’t trust a man she had just met. And she was willing to listen, she had to get as far away from her village as possible, not go right back in the direction of the evil queen. That was suicide._

_“I-I gotta go” she replied, walking past him. She didn’t know who that man was, he could be working with the evil queen for all she knew._

_“Wait!” he held her wrist to stop her from leaving “It’s not safe for a child like you to be alone in these woods, maybe you should come with me-”_

_“Let me go!” she snapped. She wasn’t really sure what happened next, she felt a tingle going all the way from her shoulder to her fingertips, her heart was thumping wildly, and in the blink of an eye the man that had been standing in front of her merely some seconds ago, was now nothing but a golden shell. She opened her eyes wide in horror “Did...Did I do that?” she questioned, her voice shaking and her hands trembling._

_“Benjamin?” she heard a female voice ask, and she saw a woman walking towards them from the forest besides her. It was then that Yazi realized that all her running had led her to a road in the middle of nowhere, which was surrounded by trees “I got the water” she added, as she finally got out of the greenery, but then she spotted the young girl, and the merchant, turned into gold. The canteen of water she had been holding until then fell to the floor, its contents spilling through the ground “What did you do to my husband?!” she demanded with a smouldering gaze, and Yazi’s eyes prickled with tears._

_“I-I didn’t…” she tried to explain herself, but found out she didn’t know how. Because yes, she had done that, and as the only other person there it would be stupid to deny it “It-It was an accident”_

_“You’re a monster!” the woman shouted at her “Get the hell away from us!”_

_And she did, as the tears she had been holding in until then began to fall down._

* * *

 

Aria’s gaze once again went to the clock hanging from the wall, marking 10:00 AM. Henry and his birth mother, Emma, should have returned the previous night, but she hadn’t heard anything from him since he left that night to Boston. She hoped nothing had happened to him. She was so worried that she couldn’t focus at all on the book she was reading at the moment, Moby Dick. That rarely happened. She couldn’t help thinking of everything that could’ve gone wrong in Henry’s journey. He might not have found his birth mother afterall, he might not have reached Boston, Emma might have sent him to foster care because, let’s face it, a twelve year old kid you’ve never seen before showing up at your doorstep and telling you you’re his mother could freak anyone out.

Oh, no, what if he got kidnapped?

As soon as that thought appeared in her head, she immediately erased it. No, Henry was fine. She was going to believe in him.

And just on cue, the front door opened and in came the boy.

“Henry!” she exclaimed, immediately standing up and approaching him “Thank goodness you’re fine” she added, pulling him into a hug which he returned.

“I told you I’d be careful” he said with a small grin. Her gaze then set on a woman standing right behind him; she was blonde, with blue eyes. She was wearing a red leather jacket, and she was smiling awkwardly.

“You must be his birth mother, Emma?” she guessed, and the woman just nodded, her awkward smile widening.

“This is Aria Griffin, aka the golden child” Henry explained, and Aria still could not get used to being called that. But she was that, so she probably should.

“It’s nice to meet you” the young girl said with a small smile, making Emma smile as well.

“You too”

“Do you want to come to Granny’s with us? I didn’t have breakfast” Henry replied, and his mother arched her eyebrows at him.

“I don’t remember agreeing to that” she pointed out sharply.

“You just did” the boy said, with a sly grin. Emma just shook her head in amusement, though she was smiling, and Aria chuckled slightly.

“I’d love to”

* * *

 

_Yazi didn’t know how long she had been running, all she knew was that in the middle of her escaping, she had managed to find cover behind some bushes and sleep for the night, but it wasn’t a good sleep at all._

_She was not used to sleeping on the ground, much less in the middle of a forest. It took her a lot longer to fall asleep than usual, while keeping her hands as close to her as possible so she wouldn’t turn thing into gold by accident._

_She didn’t know what was going on, it had been a long time since she lost control of her powers like that, the first time being when she just found out she was the golden child. She was terrified. Everything she touched, intentionally or not, was wrapped in a golden cocoon. Her parents helped her control her powers back then, providing her support and stability._   
_She used her mother’s old gloves for the first couple weeks as means of protection, but eventually, little by little, she began taking them off._

_At first, she only touched small things; flowers, stones, leaves. Then she moved on to hairbrushes, forks and spoons until, eventually, she could hug her mother without being afraid of hurting her._

_But now, that fear was back. And she had no idea how to control it. Her gloves were back home, and nobody was around to help her._

_Yazi’s eyes went over to the birthmark on her shoulder, hidden now by layers of clothing. She still remembered the first time she saw it, her mother’s touch on her, telling her the first tip represented her kindness. Eventually, she began filling more and more of those. Compassion when she found a hurt bird on the side of the well, its wing was injured, she couldn’t fly and and Yazi nursed it back to health. Intelligence when she managed to figure out that her parents were planning to throw a surprise party for her eleventh birthday._

_To some people it might just seem like a silly excuse to make her feel better about a black star tattooed on her shoulder, but to Yazi? It meant the world. Everything she had done in her life, she made sure to go to her star for guidance, and that always provided her with an answer. But now, she didn’t know what to do._

_The rustling of bushes was heard nearby, but before she could even get the chance to brace herself, a woman came through. She had black raven hair and snow white skin, a bow was in her hand and a quiver of arrows was hanging from her back. The girl stood up promptly, ready to escape if necessary. The stranger, upon seeing her, frowned._

_“Are you alright?” the woman questioned softly, approaching her, but Yazi scurried backwards._

_“Leave me alone” she replied, her voice trembling._

_“Hey, it’s okay” the black haired stated “I’m not going to hurt you” she attempted to approach her once again, but the girl stepped back, accidentally touching the tree behind her in the process. She gasped in surprise, and moved away as the stranger’s eyes opened wide in surprise “You have magic” the woman realized, and Yazi quickly scanned the area, trying to find an escape route, but the only one she could see was behind the woman._

_The black haired quickly realized what the girl was trying to do, and once again attempted to comfort her. She was scared, that much was obvious._

_“Hey, don’t worry” she spoke up once again “You’re safe with me” the blonde girl looked at her cautiously. She didn’t fully trust her yet, but she seemed genuine “I’m Snow” she introduced, sticking her hand out for her to shake, but then she remembered what the girl could do, and took it back “Snow White” upon hearing that, Yazi remembered some posters she had seen a while ago at her village. In them, Snow White’s face was drawn with the word ‘wanted’ written in bold letters, posters put up by none other than the evil queen herself. Regina was evil, and if she was looking for Snow White, it probably meant she was a good person._

_“Yazi Scarlett” the girl replied sheepishly, and Snow smiled._

_“It’s nice to meet you, Yazi, how old are you?”_

_“Eleven” the bandit nodded in acknowledgement._

_“It’s not safe to be here by yourself” the woman stated “Why don’t you come with me?”_

_“Where?” Yazi asked cautiously._

_“My hideout” she replied. She still had a lot of questions about the magical girl, starting with what on earth she was doing in the forest all by herself, but Yazi was still fearful and she didn’t want to push her, she could end up running away if she did, and she would never forgive herself._

* * *

Storybrooke was a small town, and Granny’s was the only restaurant there. It was ran by an old woman whom everyone called Widow Lucas, but she was only old physically; her health was a good as ever and if someone messed with her, she had a shotgun and knew how to use it. Her grandniece, Ruby, worked with her at the restaurant. She was a girl with black hair, red streaks and questionable morals. According to Henry, she was Red Riding Hood’s counterpart, which made sense considering that in all the time Aria had been living in Storybrooke, she had never seen her in any other colour than red.

But despite the impression she gave, Ruby was not a bad person. Yes, she always complained about having early shifts, and all she seemed to wear was mini skirts but she had never treated anyone badly, at least, Aria had never seen her doing it.

“Have you ever tried cocoa with cinnamon before?” Henry questioned to his friend, as they sat at the counter while Aria tried to decide what to order.

“Not really” she replied, shaking her head. She usually ordered a latte, she preferred bitter drinks “Should I?”

“It’s the best thing ever” he replied. Emma had gone to the bathroom, it was just them two at the moment.

“Okay, sure” Aria said with a nod and a smile, as Henry turned to look at granny standing some distance away organizing the cashier.

“Two cocoas with cinnamon please” he ordered, to which she nodded before closing the machine and going into the back. In the meanwhile, Aria looked around the place.

It was 10:15 AM and that was the time in which it was the fullest. She spotted Dr. Whale on a table, checking out Ruby up and down with a grin, while she served some of the miners. She scoffed, wondering why exactly Mary Margaret was interested in him.

Though, according to the book, she was supposed to be Snow White who was in love with Prince Charming, whose storybrooke counterpart was a catatonic man called John Doe that Mary Margaret visited every day.

“So, what did Emma say?” Aria questioned curiously, shifting in her seat “Does she believe you?”

“Not yet, but she will” Henry replied confidently, and the girl nodded in understanding “She’s the hero afterall”

“There’s one thing I don’t understand though” the girl spoke up with a frown “How do we get Emma to break this curse?”

“I’m not sure yet” he replied “But that’s what Operation Cobra is all about” Aria smiled in amusement upon hearing his words.

“Is that what we’re calling it?” he nodded “But what does that have to do with it?”

“Nothing, and that’s the point” he replied logically “We can’t have the evil queen finding out what we’re doing, so we need to throw her off track”

“That’s smart” she admitted, as Granny placed their order in front of them. They thanked her, before Henry spoke up again.

“Well, go on, try it” he urged, motioning to the white cup. Aria did as told “What do you think?”

“It’s really good”

“See? I told you” Henry replied, as he took a sip of his own cocoa. She smiled at him, before grabbing her cup.

“To Operation Cobra” she stated, and he grinned before clanking both cups.

“To happy endings”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You have no idea how many times I wrote Yazi instead of Aria while working on the chapter.
> 
> Anyway, what did you think about Snow and Yazi’s meeting? And of Yazi herself? She was so scared.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I’ll see you on Sunday!


	4. Something More

_Yazi followed Snow White through the forest, scanning the area as they moved. Even though she didn’t fully trust her yet, she was her best option at the moment. If it weren’t for the woman, she would still be aimlessly wandering through the forest. She knew there were several villages in the Enchanted Forest, but it was such a big place that she had no idea where they were. She could be walking for weeks before she even reached one, probably starving and thirsting since she also didn’t know how to get food or find a river._

_Yes, definitely. Sticking with the princess was the best choice._

_“We’re here” the woman announced, and as Yazi looked in front of her, she found a cave and got stunned for a moment._

_Considering Snow White was a fugitive, she obviously could not live in plain sight so she shouldn’t be surprised, though it was still a bit weird. But she shouldn’t complain, the woman was agreeing to shelter her without even knowing her; she should be grateful._

_And it wasn’t that bad either. It was kinda cozy in a way. There was a wooden table, with two chairs and some candles. Lying on one corner of the room there were some blankets, probably where Snow slept, and a cauldron with a a crippling fire underneath._

_“I know it’s not the best, but…”_

_“It’s okay” replied the girl, shaking her head and smiling slightly, which made her smile too “Thanks” she added, as she looked around._

_And then, something came to her._

_“Where did you get all this?” Yazi doubted she had just found the things that were now in her cave lying in the middle of the forest._

_“It’s a long story” she replied after some seconds of hesitation, and while the girl was curious as to what exactly that meant, she didn’t comment on it any further._

* * *

 

Aria had been staring at the ceiling in her bedroom for the past five minutes.

Some time earlier, Henry had been sitting in the kitchen, telling Emma, Mary Margaret and herself through tears how Dr. Hopper, his therapist, told him that everything he thought about the curse and the fairy tales was a delusion.

Basically, that he was crazy. And by consequence, that Aria was as well since she believed Henry. But the girl couldn’t care less about herself, she was more worried about the boy. He was devastated, and she didn’t understand why Archie would say something like that to him. He was supposed to be Jiminy Cricket, the conscience who always did the right thing. And according to Henry, so far he had been very supportive of him and operation cobra. He had never once been like the rest and told him that he was crazy, but now all of a sudden he was like the rest. And she didn’t understand what made him change his mind like that, especially because of the things she had heard of him. She was tempted to go and ask him, but she was just a girl. She doubted he would listen to her.

She had overheard Emma telling Mary Margaret that she was going to drop Henry at Regina’s and then talk to Hopper, and she hoped she could get through to him. She was the savior afterall, no matter how hard she tried to deny it. If there was someone who could expose the truth, was her.

Suddenly, a shrieking sound was heard, and she sat straight, startled. Looking to her table, she noticed it was the walkie talkie Henry had provided Emma and her with for operation cobra. How he got them, she had no idea but didn’t question it.

“Hello?” she called, after pressing the button to answer the call.

“Aria!”

“Henry! Are you okay? Did you get home?”

“I’m fine, but not home” he replied, making her frown. Emma and him had left over an hour ago “I’m at the mines” Aria opened her eyes wide upon hearing his words, realizing what he was about to do.

“Henry…” she said in warning, in hopes her tone would persuade him out of his insane (and incredibly dangerous) idea.

“Nobody believes me, but I know I’m not crazy” Henry argued, and the girl sighed.

“I believe you” she stated firmly. The fact that there was an evil queen that trapped fairytale characters in a town to steal their happy endings sounded insane, and exactly like the reason why someone could end up in a mental hospital. Magic was not supposed to be real, and yet Aria had a feeling it was.

Did it sound insane? Yes. Did she believe it? Absolutely.

“You don’t have to do this” she insisted, shaking her head even though she knew the boy could not see her “You could get hurt”

“I need to find proof” he replied, showing he was not going to back away. Aria remained quiet for a few minutes, trying to figure out if there was something else she could say or do “I have to do this”

She sighed as an idea came to her, it was the last thing she ever thought she would say, and, at the same time, the only thing she could do.

“Don’t move from there” she finally stated “I’m coming with you” Mary Margaret was not home, she was at the hospital visiting Mr. Nolan, so she would not notice she was gone. Hopefully when she came back, the girl would be as well.

“You are?” he breathed out in surprise.

“I told you I’d help you as much as I could” she stated firmly “So if you’re going to do something that’s obviously very stupid, I’m doing it with you”

* * *

 

_“Can I ask you something?” Snow spoke up, breaking the silence that had set since they arrived. Yazi looked at her curiously and nodded “How did you end up here in the first place?” she sighed. She didn’t want to talk about it, but she felt it was the least she could do._

_“My village was attacked” she began explaining “By...Regina” Snow nodded in encouragement for her to continue “She...She was looking for me. I think she wanted my powers” the woman arched her eyebrows upon hearing her words “My parents...They told me to escape, while they bought time for me” she felt tears springing her eyes, and she did her best to hold them back and keep on talking, but she couldn’t. It was too painful, too unfair “They’re gone”_

_“I’m so sorry, Yazi” replied Snow, placing a comforting hand on the girl’s shoulder, and then proceeded to say “Mine are too” the girl looked at her with a frown, tears still streaming “My mother died when I was a child, and my father...He was murdered, by the evil queen” Yazi stared at her sympathetically, as she wondered what would drive someone to destroy someone else’s life. It was wicked._

_“That’s...Awful” replied the girl, wiping her eyes “Why does she do all this?” there was a long pause, the only sound that could be heard were the crickets outside._

_“It’s my fault”_

_“What? How?”_

_“When I was a kid, Regina told me a secret” she began telling, as she sat down in front of the girl “I couldn’t keep it, and it ruined her life. So now she wants to ruin mine”_

_“But it doesn’t justify it” the girl replied, shaking her head “I’m sure you didn’t mean to”_

_“That’s not what she thinks”_

_“Is that why you’re living in a cave in the middle of the woods?” Yazi questioned, and the woman couldn’t help chuckling._

_“Yeah” she said with a small smile, looking around “This is all I have”_

_And now it was all Yazi had as well._

_“Thank you” she stated after some minutes._

_“For what?” Snow questioned curiously._

_“Letting me stay here” she clarified “I wouldn’t have known where to go otherwise”_

_“I couldn’t just leave you there” she replied logically “Especially not after….” she left the phrase in the air, but her gaze went to the girl’s hands. Yazi had forgotten about the fact that she had witnessed her turning a freaking tree into gold. She should probably explain that. Snow deserved to know what kind of person she was harboring._

_“Do you know about the golden child?”_

_“I’ve read books about it in the royal library” she replied, and Yazi noticed a hint of melancholy in her tone. She was sure she missed her home, probably about as much as she did. But like Snow said, a cave in the middle of the woods was all she had._

_“There’s a person in every generation who can turn things into gold just by touching them” she began explaining “And...Well, that’s me. My powers began showing when I was seven, and it was the same as now. I couldn’t touch anything without turning it”_

_“How did you learn to control them?”_

_“My parents helped me a lot” she replied “And I had some gloves I wore for the first months to isolate them” Snow frowned a thoughtful frown, as Yazi wondered what she was thinking. She followed her with her gaze as she stood up and went over the blankets in the corner. After searching through them, she found a pair of brown gloves and walked back to the girl._

_“Here” she stated, showing the accessory to her “If you wear these, you can do the same for a while” Yazi stared at them curiously as Snow helped her to place them in her hands, being extra careful so as not to touch her fingertips “At least until you learn to control them again”_

_“I don’t know if I’ll be able to” she admitted doubtfully._

_“You will” Snow said with a smile “You’re just scared now, as anyone would be. But in time you’ll grow out of it, and I’ll help you”_

_“Really? You’d do that for me?” Yazi asked in surprise, and the woman nodded._

_“Yeah” she assured “And trust me, I won’t let Regina ever get her hands on you. You have my word, I’ll protect you”_

_“Thank you” was all the girl could say, as she instinctively brought in the woman for a hug. She was startled for a bit, but after some seconds she hugged back._

* * *

 

“You know, going down unstable mines was not how I planned to spend my friday afternoon” admitted Aria as Henry and she walked through the dark tunnels. The only light they could see was from Henry’s flashlight, which he apparently had bought with some of Regina’s money. Unbeknownst to her, of course. She wondered how long it would take for her and everyone else to realize they were gone.

“But you’re having fun, right?”

“No” she replied as both, a statement and question. The boy gave her a quizzical glance, and she grinned slightly “Okay, maybe a little bit”

“I knew it” Henry said seemingly proud of himself, as they turned left.

“But what are we exactly looking for?”

“I’m not really sure” he replied “Something that seems out of place”

“You mean, besides two twelve year old kids exploring the mines?” through the thin light, she could see Henry rolling his eyes, which made her chuckle.

“Very funny” he replied, as he flashed the light on one of the rock walls, and a sparkle was seen. Henry exchanged glances with Aria, who had seen it too, before approaching said wall. Cautiously, the boy held the object in his hands, as both of them stared at it as if it was some rare artifact. Which it kinda was.

The gleam they had seen came from what seemed a shard of glass. It definitely seemed out of place amongst all the dust and rock.

As Aria wondered where it had come from, the ceiling began trembling and she watched in horror as small rocks began falling. It was breaking down.

“We gotta get out of here!” she exclaimed, grabbing Henry’s hand instinctively as she began running away, the boy quick on her footsteps. They had to leave before getting crushed.

* * *

 

_Yazi had been reading a book that Snow had brought with her when she escaped Regina, when she was startled by noises coming from outside. It sounded like rustling of bushes and steps, which made her freeze in her place, wishing there was someplace to hide. Not that it would matter anyway, because if someone found a cave in the middle of the woods they were bound to be curious about what was inside, even if it was occupied._

_But when she saw the familiar face of Snow White, she sighed in relief._

_“You scared me, I thought it was someone else” she admitted, closing the book as the woman placed the pouch she had been carrying with her on the table._

_“Sorry” she said with a small smile, as the girl eyed the pouch curiously. It had the unmistakable sigil of the queen’s kingdom._

_“What did you get?”_

_“Some jewelry, coins…” she replied as she opened it “Nothing out of the ordinary” the girl nodded._

_When she first arrived to the cave, she had to admit she was a bit surprised at the fact that Snow was stealing things and selling them, but after a few days she quickly understood she was just doing what was necessary to survive. She went out and came back with something new everyday, but Yazi knew it wasn’t enough for her. She was looking for something that could afford passage out of the kingdom, for both of them, in order to escape the evil queen. And she had to admit, she felt a bit guilty that she was out there risking her life while she stayed inside._

_That’s why, she had been trying to think of something to do to repay Snow. She wanted to show her gratitude for taking care of her. She could no longer in good conscience stay put doing nothing. Besides, after a while, it turned out to be a bit boring._

_“So...I was thinking” she began speaking up, making Snow look at her curiously “That after everything you’ve done for me, I want to repay you somehow”_

_“Yazi-”_

_“I know what you think, but hear me out” she cut her off, knowing she was going to say something like ‘it’s not necessary’. She knew her well enough to know at least that._

_The woman was surprised by this, but she remained quiet._

_“Seeing as my powers are spiraling at the moment” she began, giving her gloved hands a quick glance, before raising her gaze again. It had only been a few days, so she didn’t feel comfortable taking them off yet. She hadn’t even tried “And if I step out of this cave, the queen will be onto me before I can even blink...I think I should learn to defend myself properly” Snow arched her eyebrows upon hearing her words “And you excel at that” in the four days she had spent with the woman, she had seen her using a dagger, bow and arrow and even a sword. Not to mention she was a master of hiding “So, I was wondering if you could teach me. And I know it will probably take a long time for me to learn, but once I do I could help you with the ambushes” she added “That way, you don’t have to do everything yourself, and I don’t need your protection all the time anymore” there was silence for a few minutes, until Snow’s lips curved up into a smile._

_And that’s how Yazi Scarlett became Snow White’s apprentice._

* * *

 

“Are you okay?” Henry questioned, stopping once they were far away from the danger zone to catch his breath.

“Yeah” Aria replied between breaths of her own, trying to calm down now that the panic had passed “Did you bring the glass?”

“No, I dropped it” he replied “It was useless anyway, there’s probably nothing here”

“I refuse to believe that” she stated, shaking her head and making him look at her curiously “If you say that there’s something down here, then there must be and we’re gonna find it” she had come all the way down there for him, she was not going to give up now.

“How are you so sure?”

“You weren’t wrong about Emma” she pointed out, grabbing the flashlight from his hands and illuminating their path “I don’t think you’re wrong about the curse either, despite what everyone else might say” Henry smiled slightly upon hearing her words “I believe in you”

“Thanks” she smiled at him, and they began walking once again.

“Henry, Ariai!” they heard a familiar voice, and they exchanged confused glances, before hearing it once again.

“That sounds like Archie!” Henry spoke up, and began running in the direction of the therapist, with Aria close on his feet.

And in fact, it was the therapist that had been calling for them.

“Archie, you’re here to help us!” the boy exclaimed, as the girl flashed the light into the man’s face, who had to squint until his eyes got used to it.

“Are you alright?” she questioned worriedly.

“Y-yeah, I’m fine” he replied, with a small nod, before squatting down to their eye level “We gotta get out of here, okay?”

“So you’re still against me” Henry realized, and his friend looked at him sympathetically.

“Henry, there’s no time for that” the man stated firmly, holding the boy by the shoulders “C’mon”

“You don’t believe me?” he challenged, stepping back and shaking Archie’s arms off “You’ll see. C’mon, Aria” and with that, he began running away.

“He’s telling the truth, you know?” she commented softly, before running after Henry, without giving Archie a chance to reply. She was still not sure why he had said those things to Henry, and even though now he was only trying to help, it was obvious the boy was still hurt. Like anyone would be, he was not going to listen to him so easily “Are you alright?” she asked, once they were far from the man’s view.

“He still thinks that I’m crazy” he replied simply, grabbing the flashlight from her hands to illuminate some rocks around them.

“Which you aren’t” Aria indicated sharply. She didn’t want him to forget that “Adults can be dumb sometimes” she began, making her friend chuckle which, in turn, made her smile “He’ll come around eventually, he just needs time. It’s not exactly easy to admit that magic exists”

“You did” he pointed out logically.

“But it’s different” she replied, making him look at her curiously.

Ever since she was toddler, people around her had always told her she had a wild imagination. At school, she would often get in trouble because of that, since she was always daydreaming instead of paying attention. She figured that was partly because of the many books she read, she always imagined what it would be like to live in a magical world, a land in which happiness was the core of everything, where the wrongs were always undone and hope was never lost. She always found an escape route in those stories, an escape from the very painful reality she was living in. It was terrible for a twelve year old girl to say that, but she was anything but ordinary.

As she tried to figure out how to explain her point, she spotted something shining out of the corner of her eye.

“Did you see that?” she questioned, approaching the rocks besides Henry.

“See what?”

“Right there” she pointed out to a medium size hole between the rocks, and just when the boy shone his flashlight down, Archie appeared behind them.

“You need to slow down” he stated, but the two friends were too busy trying to figure out what exactly they were seeing to look at him “It’s too dangerous, we need to get out of here”

“There’s something down there” was Henry’s reply.

“Look at me!” Archie ordered, softly but firmly, which called their attention, since none of them had ever heard him speaking like that “I’m frightened for you!”

“Because you think we’re crazy?” the boy demanded angrily.

“No!” he replied, breathing heavily, which made them frown. He sounded in a panic “Because we’re trapped underground in an abandoned mine and there is no way out”

* * *

 

“I didn’t mean those things I said, I shouldn’t have said them” Archie admitted later that day. All three of them were sitting in an elevator they had found underground, but when they tried to make it work, an explosion occurred and dragged it down, effectively breaking it. So now, they were trapped, awaiting the rescue that most certainly was being planned above. Aria had no idea how much time had passed since Henry and her went down the mines, but she was sure that by now everyone had noticed they were gone. Especially since Archie was down there with them.

“Why did you?” Henry asked softly, and Aria looked at him curiously, wanting to know that as well.

“I guess I’m not a very good person” he replied, almost in a whisper, which made the girl look at him sympathetically. That was not true at all, she was sure she had done a lot for Henry over the past months. It was a simple mistake, everyone made them.

“By admitting you were wrong, you’re already a better person” she pointed out, making Archie chuckle slightly.

“You are a very wise girl” he complimented, making her smile gratefully.

“Mary Margaret said that to me a long time ago” she admitted, leaning against the elevator wall. She had to give the woman credit, since she learned a lot of things from her.

A Tremble. Aria wondered where it was coming from.

“She’s right” Henry backed the girl up, as Archie looked at both of them curiously “I mean, you’re Jiminy Cricket”

“Henry, Jiminy Cricket was a cricket” the man said logically “He was a conscience, and I hardly think that’s me”

“But before being that, he was a guy who took a long time to figure out the right thing to do” he kept saying, and Aria nodded in agreement. He made a few mistakes, and learned to make up for them.

“That kinda sounds like me”

“Now it’s harder for you, because of the curse. To hear the voice inside of you. To be who you wanna be” Archie smiled slightly upon hearing the boy’s words.

Another tremble.

“Hey, can I ask you again?” Archie questioned to Henry, as Aria reached for her bag and grabbed some candy bars she had brought from the house. She didn’t know how much longer they were going to stay down there, so they might as well eat something.

“Ask what?” Henry questioned, smiling gratefully at his friend as he opened the package.

“Why do you think it’s so important that your fairytale theory is true?”

“I don’t know”

“Give it a shot” after some silence, he finally replied.

“Cause this can’t be all there is” Aria once again had to agree. There had to be something better. Something else. Ever since that mysterious book showed up out of nowhere in her closet she had been wondering if there was something she was missing, something that was barely out of reach.

There had to be. A part of her was telling her that it wasn’t possible, that it was just what she hoped, what she dreamed of, but what if it was? There was nothing wrong with aiming for something more. What did she have to lose?

“I understand” Archie nodded “And I’m glad that you have someone that does as well” he added, looking at Aria sitting by his side, which made both of them smile as well “It reminds me of the kind of person I wanna be, I just gotta listen harder”

* * *

 

Later that day, once the rescue was over and everyone was safe, Aria was at her house when she decided to give Henry a call.

She walked over to her bed, grabbed the walkie talkie, pressed the button and waited.

“Yeah?” she quickly heard his voice on the other side.

“Henry, remember the shard of glass that we found underground?” she questioned, sitting on the chair in front of her desk.

“Yeah” he replied, and it sounded more like a question than a statement “But it didn’t mean anything”

“What if it did?” she asked sternly.

“What do you mean?”

“After Emma rescued us from there, I saw it on the ground” she admitted, as she stared at the crystal which was now being kept in a plate, bathed in its own dust “It was just there, besides me”

“Like magic” Henry realized, and Aria nodded even though he couldn’t see her.

“Which proves the fact that there was actually something down there, we just didn’t look hard enough” she explained.

“Aria?” the girl heard a voice coming from the stairs. She immediately turned the artifact off, and covered the crystal with a cloth.

“Yeah?” she said back, as Mary Margaret came into view, holding a cup of hot cocoa in her hands. She placed it in front of the girl, who looked at her gratefully, before leaning against the desk.

“Are you okay?” she asked worriedly “Being down there was probably a lot to take in”

“I’m okay” she assured with a smile “Besides, I wasn’t alone” she nodded, smiling back, but her eyes were kind of sad.

“I’m sorry” she commented, and the girl looked at her curiously “I should have been there when they rescued you” Aria sighed slightly. She had to admit that seeing Emma and Regina so worried about Henry, and Archie and Marcus hugging tightly made her want to have someone checking up on her, to see if she was okay. But there was no one.

“It’s alright” she replied, shaking her head and her depressing thoughts with it “You were working”

“That’s the thing, I wasn’t” she admitted, and Aria gave her a curious glance “I was actually...With Mr. Nolan” the girl smiled slightly upon hearing that.

“That’s great!” she exclaimed, happy that Snow White and Prince Charming were interacting. It was a step closer to remembering who they were.

“It isn’t” she continued sternly “I was off with a man who already had a family, when my real family was trapped underground, running for her life”

Aria knew what she meant, Mr. Nolan was married already to a woman named Kathryn, who was the counterpart of Prince Charming’s fiance, Abigail.

“I don’t want that to happen again, you’re like my own daughter and I want to be there for you when you need me” Aria smiled, touched by her words. What happened after the rescue was long forgotten by now “Can you forgive me?”

“Of course I can” she replied with a smile “You don’t even have to ask that” she stood up, and pulled the woman into a hug, who returned it just as tightly.

“Now, how about we watch a movie?” Mary Margaret asked once they pulled away.

“It depends on which one” Aria stated mischievously.

“The Princess Diaries”

“Sold”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooph, I finally finished this chapter. I’m sorry it took so long, but college has been crazy lately. I have exams coming up soon and I have to hand in a report in a couple weeks so I’ve been reading like crazy.
> 
> Also, this chapter is the first one (Of many) that happens in an actual episode, so that’s why it’s longer. It wasn’t in my plans to write it at first, but then I remember how important the episode was for Henry’s character, so I had to. Besides, it also gave me an excuse to develop Aria/Yazi and Mary Margaret/Snow White’s relationship which is also quite important. 
> 
> Thankfully, the next two chapters are already written so it won’t take me as long to update. Hopefully, the following one will be up by Sunday.
> 
> Have a wonderful weekend!


	5. Against All Odds

15:10.

Aria stared at the clock hanging from the hospital wall for the tenth time that day. Tick. Tock. She looked back at the bed in front of her, where the limp body of her friend laid, machines all around him.

There were many reasons why she thought she could have ended up waiting in a hospital room one day. Results of an analysis. Moral support. But she never imagined it would be because of a poisoned apple.

When Henry told her he was going to talk to Emma and convince her to stay, she thought of a number of ways in which he could do that. But it never crossed her mind, not even for a second, that he would actively consume something that could kill him. And yet, here he was.

Another minute passed. 15:11.

Her gaze went over to the door. It had been several hours since Emma and Regina had left to find a way to save him, but there were only two people in that room that knew what should be done. One of them was unconscious, fighting for his life, and the other could barely think straight.

It was like a dream she couldn’t quite wake up from. Part of her was hoping that from one moment to another, Henry would wake up and everything would go back to how it was. But she knew. She saw it in the faces of the doctors, she heard it in the machines which kept increasing in amount. Life was slowly slipping from the boy who believed, and with him the magic of Storybrooke.

15:12.

* * *

 

_Yazi always had a lot of trouble processing bad things when they happened, whether it be herself who suffered through them or someone else, it was always hard. Especially if she knew the victim, and this was no different._

_When Snow White told her that Regina wanted to meet her, Yazi insisted on going with her for back up, but the woman strongly argued saying she had to go alone and unarmed, which didn’t do much to ease the golden child’s worry. She promised she’d come back._

_She didn’t._

_A couple hours later, she got word through Doc that she had been poisoned by the queen herself, and that his brothers were mining for glass to make her a coffin worthy of a princess. The girl was welcomed to come with him, since none of them wanted her to be alone. But she refused, saying she needed precisely that._

_At the time, it seemed like a good idea, but she ended up not leaving the cave she once shared with the woman for three days straight. Even when the dwarfs came to check up on her, she still didn’t leave._

_What was she to do? Snow White’s poisoning only confirmed the fact that it was dangerous to stay in the kingdom while the queen was ruling, and while she had gotten good at sword fighting and assisting in the ambushes of the queen’s carriages, she was in no way good enough to do it on her own. Her powers would have been wonderful in that case, since if she could turn a few things into gold and sell them, the problem would have been solved._

_The thing was, she still had no control over them. It had been over a month since she escaped her village, and nothing. Snow tried to help her, but it never worked. She always ended up turning more than a few things accidentally. So that wasn’t a choice._

_But, after two more days drowning in self-pity, she decided she had enough. So she threw on her hood, sheathed her sword, which she had stolen from some thieves on one of her many adventures with Snow, and began to make her way out of the kingdom. If she wanted to get out of the queen’s sight, she would have to do it on her own._

_She passed many villages, and when asked what brought her there, she simply replied she was a traveller. It would be against all types of logic to mention that she was the golden child, because she didn’t know who she could trust and she didn’t want to take any chances._

_Fortunately for her, some villagers were kind enough to let her stay the night at their home, providing her food and shelter. And it was in one of those stays, that she heard word of a powerful sorcerer, who could help her get out of the kingdom._

_He lived in a castle, in the snowy mountains, far away from civilization. It was going to be a week’s travel at least, but Yazi didn’t care. This could be her only way of finally escaping the evil queen._

_She just hoped Rumpelstiltskin was willing to help._

* * *

 

15:19.

Aria felt steps approaching, but they were too close to her to come from outside. Looking up, she saw Mother Superior giving her a sympathetic smile.

“Why don’t you rest a little?” she questioned, her tone warm, but the girl shook her head.

“I’m not leaving him” she replied, nailing her gaze to the floor. She didn’t know if she could bare looking at Henry again.

It was that same morning when Aria was getting ready for the day, that she got word that her friend was admitted into the hospital because he passed out. She wanted to ask how, but when she saw that turnover in that transparent bag, she didn’t have to.

She hadn’t left her seat since then, she had seen many people coming and going but she remained the same. She had seen so many nurses and doctors, some for the very first time, come to check on the boy, and Aria was getting irritated. No matter how many experts came, how many machines they connected to his body, how many analysis they did to Henry’s blood, they would not find anything. Because that was the whole point of the sleeping curse, but nobody was going to listen to a twelve year old girl.

“Don’t you want to eat something?”

“I’m not hungry” even if she wanted to eat something, she was sure she would throw it up. There was a knot deep in her stomach, that grew tighter and tighter with every second.

15:20.

“At least come with me to get some air” she kept insisting ”Then you can return” and Aria knew she would not rest until she got her to stand up, so, reluctantly, she did. Mother Superior smiled slightly at her, before placing a hand on her back as they walked towards the transparent door. If it wasn’t for her hand supporting her, she couldn’t have stood straight. She was practically dragging her feet, forcing them to go through the exit the older woman was holding open for her.

But before completely stepping outside, she gave him one last look. If it wasn’t for the place or machines, he would have looked so peaceful sleeping. But she knew that deep inside him, there was a fight going on. A fight to save his life, because Henry Mills could not die. She was not going to accept that.

* * *

 

_Eventually, Yazi arrived to Rumplestiltskin’s castle, and if she hadn’t known he was a powerful sorcerer before, she would have found out just by looking at it. It was surrounded by a stone wall, and the door was wood, with some carvings on it._

_She grabbed the ring shaped door knob and knocked three times. As she waited for someone to open, she breathed in. She didn’t know what to expect, and it was very worrying. All she knew about this sorcerer was the his name was Rumplestiltskin and he was very powerful. She didn’t even know what he looked like._

_After the most agonizing five seconds of her life, the giant door creaked and opened up. She put on a smile for first impression value, but it faltered when she saw there was no one on the other side, just a long courtyard that led into another door, which was wide open. She could see a bright red carpet beyond it, and a large dinner table._

_She began making her way towards it, wrapping her cloak tighter around her when a breeze picked up. She hadn’t realized how cold she was until that moment. It seemed she was walking for ages until she finally reached the inside, and found herself in a spacious living room. The table was full of objects she had no idea of, and huge windows covered with deep red curtains._

_And right there, in one corner, there was a man spinning a wheel, as threads of gold fell into a bucket besides him._

_She waited for him to say something, but he didn’t. It didn’t seem like he had even noticed she was there._

_“Hi, I’m-”_

_“I know who you are” he finally spoke up, looking up at her and she wondered what that meant. Did he know her name or that she was the golden child? Maybe both, considering how powerful everyone said he was “And what you want” he added, standing up to approach her, which gave her a clear look of his face. He had greasy gray hair, and grey, almost crystallized, eyes, the pupils barely visible. A chill ran up her spine, and suddenly she felt very uncomfortable. But she was not going to let it get to her, she did need his assistance afterall “But I can’t help you” her heart sank “Though I know someone who can”_

_“Who?” she questioned curiously, still keeping her distance from the man._

_“Not so fast, dearie” he replied, grinning slightly “If you want to know his identity, you need to do something for me first. Let’s call it a deal”_

_“What do you want?” she asked once again, she was willing to get him anything if it meant she could finally be safe._

_“There’s a little something I want you to get” he began explaining, walking around her, as she eyed him cautiously._

_“What is it?”_

_“Now, if I told you, what would be the fun in that?” he added, making her frown._

_“But then how am I supposed to find it?”_

_“It’s easy to spot really” he replied, shrugging it off. She was about to say something else, but he interrupted her “Now, off you go” he snapped his fingers, and suddenly Yazi wasn’t in his castle anymore._

_The first thing she noticed about the place she was in now, was how humid it was. The hood that had kept the cold out, now felt heavy in her body. The second thing she noticed, was that there was no solid ground, or barely any, just water. It wasn’t deep, it didn’t go past her ankles, but nevertheless, she was quite thankful she was wearing boots._

_Looking around, she saw many trees surrounding her, and the stumps had what seemed like moss. She was in some sort of swamp._

_Just as she began wondering how on earth she was supposed to find whatever Rumplestiltskin wanted from her, something in the distance called her attention. Passed the water and bushes, there was a huge tree, its several leaves shaped a triangle, which provided cover from the heavy sun._

_She guessed that’s where she had to go, since the wizard had told her whatever she needed to find wouldn’t be hard to spot. And that tree was very noticeable._

_She arranged her cloak, and began making her way there, water splashing with every step she took._

_She had been walking for a few minutes, when she began to hear whispers. Stopping in her tracks, she frowned, wondering who else could be there with her, considering how abandoned the place seemed._

_More whispers._

_“Who’s there?” she questioned loudly, reaching for her sword “Show yourself!” it was only after she said that, that she realized how stupid it was. She had just revealed herself to whoever was there with her._

_“Yazi” someone called, and when she turned around, she spotted two figures standing some distance away from her, their faces barely recognizable._

_“Who are you?” they knew she was there already, so might as well go all in “What do you want?”_

_“Follow us” she heard a female voice reverberating in her head, and when she looked back ahead, she saw the two figures were walking several meters ahead from her. To the tree. Her sword still out, she narrowed her eyes and began doing the same._

_“You know us” a male voice spoke up this time, and she frowned._

_“What are you talking about?”_

_“You know us” he repeated, and when the girl tried to spot the figures she had seen, they were gone._

_With her heart pounding wildly, she continued her way to the tree, guard still up._

_For a while, there was silence, and then there wasn’t._

_“You know us!” the same voice yelled this time, and Yazi felt someone turning her around. And she couldn’t believe her eyes._

_“Father?” it was him, she was sure of it. But how?_

_Just as she was about to ask something else, her father’s figure disappeared._

_“Why did you do it?” she heard someone else asking, and when she turned around she saw her mother. She looked the same as she did the day the queen attacked, same brown hair and loving eyes._

_“Do what?” she questioned, completely confused. When had it turned so dark? She could barely see the tree anymore._

_“You disappointed us” her mother kept saying, before disappearing behind some trees._

_“Wait!” Yazi called, putting her sword back in the sheath and following the direction in which her mother left. She didn’t want to hurt them, she wanted to talk with them. She needed to “Mother, father, where are you?” she asked to the silence, looking around. She had no idea where she was._

_“You left us!” she heard her father yelling, but she could not see him “You killed us!”_

_“I-I didn’t mean to” Yazi stuttered, tears springing her eyes “I’m sorry”_

_“The queen killed us because of you!” her mother reproached “We died protecting our pathetic little daughter, all because of your stupid powers”_

_“I-I didn’t want that to happen” the girl replied, her cheeks wet and eyes itchy._

_“But it did” her father stated “And for what? You haven’t changed at all, you’re still as useless as you were back then. You can’t even use your own powers, is that how you thank us? By running away?”_

_“I-I don’t know what else to do” she said, trying to breath between sobs, but she couldn’t. They were never ending. She wanted to run away but her feet wouldn’t move. She was stuck in the torturous moment._

_“You’re unbelievable” she could barely distinguish their voices from each other now “All you do is let people down. You let us down, and now you let down that woman too, Snow White. She was poisoned because, of course, you couldn’t bring yourself to do something for a change. You couldn’t bring yourself to stop her before the evil queen got her hands on her. You’re a wonderful golden child, aren’t you? Truly outstanding”_

_“Stop it” the girl could finally let out some words through her crying and sobbing._

_“Are you sure you are the golden child? I mean, you haven’t done anything ‘golden’ lately, have you?”_

_“Please, stop it” she continued pleading, closing her eyes and covering her ears to block their hurtful words._

_“You can’t even control your powers, and you think you will be able to survive on your own?” she heard maniac laughs “Now that, is hilarious”_

_“STOP IT!” she cried, and when she opened her eyes, the sunlight was back and the tree was standing in front of her. There were no more voices, and no sign of her parents ever being there in the first place._

_Her legs felt weak, as if the whole world had suddenly collapsed on her shoulders, and she fell down, her knees hitting the solid ground underneath the tree._

_And it was then, that she broke down._

_“Outstanding performance” she heard a voice, and when she looked up, she saw through her tears that Rumpelstiltskin was standing in front of her, a small flask in his hands._

_“That wasn’t real” she stated, shaking her head, her voice hoarse. The sorcerer giggled._

_“Of course not, dearie” he replied, kneeling down extremely close to her, but she was too weak to try to move away “But these tears?” he added, placing the cold flask against her cheek “They are” Yazi frowned, trying to understand what was going on “Tears of the golden child, exceptional magical properties” it was then, that she realized._

_“You made me go through all of that because of this?” she questioned in disbelief._

_“I didn’t do anything” he replied, standing up as he closed the flask “This swamp has magic of its own. It reveals a person’s own perception of themselves, so if there’s anyone to blame is you. Not that you don’t do that on your own quite well already” she sniffed, but decided to ignore his words._

_“I got you what you asked” she stated, standing up and wiping her cheeks. She was sure they were quite red by now “Now, where do I find this sorcerer?”_

* * *

 

15:30.

Aria was drinking some water Mother Superior had gotten for her as she sat in the hall outside of Henry’s room, when a deafening sound was heard. She watched in horror as Dr. Whale barged into the room, several nurses following him. She tried to see Henry on the bed, but so many people were surrounding it that she couldn’t. But she didn’t need to be a genius to figure out what was going on.

Tears began blurring her eyes and streaming down her cheeks, the sobs came out in the form of a silent scream and she felt something soft pressing against her cheek, as two arms wrapped tightly around her. She didn’t know who it was and she didn’t care, she just needed somewhere to hide, even for a little bit. She could faintly hear someone calling out to her, murmuring, but she could not distinguish who it was.

She didn’t know how much time she spent curled up in someone’s arms, but it was enough to know that Emma and Regina had arrived, and were now standing inside the room she had been in minutes before, as they stared at their son helplessly.

Finally looking up, she could see that the woman who had stayed with her through her tears was Mother Superior. She could feel a second swarm coming, as she tried her best to look everywhere but into the deadly room.

And then, something weird happened. A flash of light. A gust of wind. It was so strong that it forced her to step away to fully take it in. The hallway in front of her began changing, shaping into trees and old houses, into busy streets and oceans below her.

She saw images from another time. A younger version of herself running through the woods, sprinting through the streets of New York City with a wallet in her right hand and a hood over her head, a small flask, a firebond and boys dancing around it, a curly haired boy, a purple mist. A name.

Yazi. Yazi Scarlett.

And if she remembered her name, that could only mean one thing.

She looked inside the room once again, and didn’t hesitate to barge in. Emma was standing behind her, now conscious, son, as the evil queen stood some metres away, relief clear on her face.

“Aria” Henry breathed out, and the girl could have burst into tears again but she held them back and just grinned.

“That is not my name” she replied, shaking her head and the boy smiled in surprise.

“The curse” he stated, looking at the blonde woman, his face lit up “You broke it”

“That was true love’s kiss” Mother Superior...Blue, announced as she walked into the room.

“No, no” Yazi heard Regina complaining, and when she looked at her, all she could see was the smirk from twenty eight years ago, the wicked grin that let her know that her parents were gone forever. Her blood began boiling.

“If I were you, your majesty” the fairy spoke up, a challenging look on her face “I’d find a place to hide” Yazi had to agree with that. Now that everyone’s memories were back, the atrocities that she had committed against the inhabitants of the enchanted forest would not be forgiven. There was going to be a reckoning.

“Henry” the black haired called, approaching the bed. Yazi felt the need to cover him, but she knew she wouldn’t do anything to hurt him, not in front of so many people. The people she had hurt. The people who would be waiting eagerly for even the slight mistake to pass judgement.

Henry didn’t lean forward when she did, in fact, he put some distance between them.

“No matter what you think” there were tears on her eyes, and her voice was breaking “No matter what anyone tells you, I do love you” the boy looked slightly conflicted as Regina gave him one last glance, before running from the room. But when he looked at Yazi, that conflict was replaced with a smile.

“I’m glad you’re okay” she admitted, returning his smile “But don’t you dare do anything like that again” Emma chuckled slightly upon hearing the girl’s words.

“I won’t” he replied with a nod, but Yazi knew it was probably an empty promise. When he wanted to achieve something, he would not stop at anything until he did.

“At least not alone” she added in a small whisper, when nobody was looking, which did make him chuckle.

“How much time passed?” he questioned with a frown, as the nurses began taking off the cables that had been holding him captive.

“Several hours” she replied, sitting on the bed next to him “I’ve been here since this morning, Blue had to practically drag me out of this room” she added, and the name Blue instead of Mother Superior sounded very weird in her lips.

“You stayed here?” Henry asked in surprise.

“What else was I supposed to do?” she replied “I couldn’t focus on anything else”

“Thanks”

“I think I should be thanking you” Yazi shot back, as he gave her a confused frown “It is thanks to you that my memories are back. All of our memories” she added the last part, looking beyond the room where several people were embraced in hugs, laughter flying from place to place.

“Actually, it’s thanks to Emma” he added, looking to the corner of the room where the woman was talking with a nurse “She’s the savior”

“But whose idea was it to hop on a bus in the middle of the night and go to Boston?” the girl asked logically, a hint of amusement in her voice.

“That sounds fair” he said, tilting his head to the side “But it was thanks to the book you gave me”

“Just accept the credit” Yazi urged, getting tired of the conversation, and Henry chuckled lively. He was teasing her, of course he was. But she wouldn’t have it any other way, and she tried to demonstrate it in the hug she gave him, trying not to squeeze him too much since he was probably still feeling weak. But he hugged back anyway.

“Yazi, Henry” they heard Emma’s voice coming from behind, and they both turned to look at her smiling face “The nurses are going to run some tests on you to check your health, and as soon as they do we can leave”

“Okay” Henry nodded with a smile, and Yazi gazed to the window, another thought coming to her.

“Do you mind if I leave a bit early?” she questioned, looking back at Emma “I have someone I need to see”

“Of course not” she replied, placing a hand on her shoulder as the girl stood up.

“I’ll see you later, Henry” she gave her best friend one last glance, before grabbing her backpack and going off.

* * *

 

_Yazi had been transported two times in a day, and she had to admit it was quite practical. But she also had to admit she hated that Rumpelstiltskin was the one who did it. He was disgusting monster, and she wondered what she would have done if she knew beforehand what she would had to go through to get to the person who could actually help her. Would she still had gone through with it if she had know she would see such horrible things?_

She shook her head, getting rid of those thoughts. She was there already, nothing was going to change now.

She was a bit iffy about going to another sorcerer after the dark one, but she also knew it was probably her only way out of danger, so she gathered up her courage and approached the cottage she was now standing in front of. It was rustic, and it reminded her of her own house. It was also pretty much in the middle of nowhere.

_She was about to knock on the door, when she noticed that it was ajar. She frowned, and pushed it open._

_There was no one inside, and it looked quite normal for what it was, except for a strange door in the middle of it. It wasn’t against any wall, it was just standing there. It was a bright red, unlike any other door she had seen. And there was a note stuck on it. Curiosity got the best of her, and she grabbed it in her hands, to read what it said._

_**I know who you are and what you want. I conjured this door, which will take you where you wanna go. But be warned, once you step through it, it might not be so easy to come back.** _

_That was all, it wasn’t signed._

_Yazi frowned, and opened it._

_The other side of the door was transparent, showing the wooden wall at the far end of the cottage and a bed. Hesitantly, she reached out for it, and gasped when she watched her own hand being absorbed by some sort of barrier._

_She took it back, and tried to gather her thoughts. This could be her only way to get out of the enchanted forest and of Regina’s grasp; whatever was on the other side of the door was going to ensure that. But the note said that once she stepped through, she might not be able to come back._

_She looked back to the opened door behind her, the forest extending beyond it. She thought of Snow White, and of her parents, and came to a silent decision._

_There was nothing there for her anymore._

_So she took a deep breath, and was soon swallowed by the door._

_When she reached the other side, deafening sounds were heard and she had to cover her ears for a brief moment to block them. Once she got used to it, she lowered her hands and began to look around._

_She was surrounded by people, all walking by in a rush, giving her some strange looks as they did. They were dressed very weirdly, and there were too many voices. She had only heard so many people in the gatherings of her village, and even then they were never so crowded. Grey buildings with doors and windows she had never seen before were set up all around the place, but the tallest one was by far some distance away, her neck hurt because of how high up she had to look._

_Where was she?_

* * *

 

As she walked down the streets of Storybrooke, there was a strange feeling in her stomach. This had been her home for twenty eight years, and now everything seemed so unfamiliar to her. But there was one person who wasn’t.

She spotted her some distance away, hugging her prince in relief, and she couldn’t stop the smile from spreading on her face.

“Snow!” she yelled, and when said woman turned to look at her, her face lit up.

“Yazi” she breathed out, as the girl ran into her arms, wrapping them tightly around her waist. The princess hugged back warmly, caressing her back softly.

When they broke apart, she looked at Charming with a smile. She had only heard things about him, things that Snow had told her in the enchanted forest, but she was still very glad to see him, even if she didn’t know him.

At least, not in person, just through fairy tales.

Standing there in front of them, she realized just how strong their feelings for each other were, because even with their memories wiped clean, they were still pulled towards one another like magnets, against all odds. That was one thing Regina could not change, their heart’s desire. Against her better judgement, her sworn enemies had found each other again. It filled her with joy, the fact that their love was so strong it could transcend so many barriers.

She wondered what that would be like.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we reach the end of season one! With so many questions brought up. What did Yazi do in New York? How did she get back to the enchanted forest before the curse hit? And what about all the memories that came back, a curly haired boy? Hmm, I wonder who that could be…
> 
> Season two will have six chapters tops, and then we move on to season three, and that’s when the real fun begins! What do you guys think so far of Yazi and her character? Like her? Hate her? Let me know, I’d love to hear it!
> 
> See you soon!


	6. Morning Conversations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter and the following ones will be shorter than usual, since these are moments I wanted to included from the beginning but they do not fit in any of the season two episodes I’m gonna write and even if they did, I think the meaning would be lost, so they get their own appreciation.

ACT TWO  
“Everyone has something that makes them special”

* * *

 

Yazi sat at the breakfast bar in the Blanchard loft, a bowl of cereals in front of her as she enjoyed the peace and quiet of the morning.

She never really had a problem with people, but she had to admit it was very weird not to be just Mary Margaret and her at home anymore. Emma had been living there for a while, even before the curse was broken, but after that happened David was obviously going to move in, and after Regina attempted to kill the prince, Henry was now there as well. A great choice in her opinion, he wasn’t safe living with her anymore, especially now that she had her dark magic back.

But sometimes, it was nice to escape from all the voices in the house, which were even more now that Emma and Mary Margaret were trapped in the Enchanted Forest. Everyone was trying to find a way to get them back, and Yazi would have been too if she didn’t have so many things in her mind.

Despite the curse being broken and her memories recovered, she still felt a certain emptiness in her heart. According to her fake memories, her parents had sent her to an orphanage and disappeared without trace. For some reason, they didn’t want her, but at least they were somewhere in the world. And due to that, she could have hope that somewhere, someday, maybe she would see them again. Even if it was miles away, even if it was for a brief second.

But now, she knew the truth. Now, she knew she would never see them ever again. They were dead, killed by a woman in cold blood. A woman looking for her in the first place. That small spark inside of her had been extinguished forever, and while she did love living with Mary Margaret, it just wasn’t the same. It couldn’t be. Nobody was going to replace her parents.

She heard rustling upstairs, and wiped off a tear, trying to compose herself before whoever had woken up found her dwelling in self pity. Quick steps were heard, and when she looked towards the stairs, she found her very own best friend half-awake, his hair a mess. It was kinda adorable to be honest.

“Hey, you” she greeted with a smile, pushing all her depressing thoughts aside. Henry had enough to deal with on his own, she didn’t want to add anything more to the mix.

“Good morning” he said with a yawn, as he rubbed his eyes to get rid of the last traces of sleep.

“There’s some cereal on the top shelf, and orange juice in the fridge” she announced, as she took a sip from her hot cocoa with cinnamon. Ever since Henry introduced her to it, it was the only thing she drank in the morning.

She watched as her friend reached out for some grains of cereal from her bowl, and placed them in his mouth.

“Hey, that’s mine!” she complained in disbelief, but he didn’t seem fazed by it.

“Good, but it could use some milk” he observed, munching on some more.

“Do you usually steal from other people’s cereals?” she questioned a bit sarcastic, knowing full well Henry would not take it the wrong way. That was just the way she was. And he had his own quota of sarcasm sometimes as well.

“Nope, just yours” he replied simply, as her served his own breakfast. Yazi gave him a ‘seriously?’ glance, and all he could do was chuckle “You’ll get over it” all she did was roll her eyes in amusement. She couldn’t really get angry at him, as much as she tried.

“How are you holding up?” she questioned softly, changing the subject as he sat besides her on the counter.

“I’m fine” he replied, and he sounded genuine, but Yazi knew he was probably very worried on the inside.

“We’ll get them back” she assured “You know that, right?”

They just needed to figure out how.

“I know” he stated with a nod, and a smile. Yazi just smiled back, amazed at the boy’s capabilities to believe. There was no sign of hesitation on his voice, or face. He knew, they both did, that everyone around them would do everything they could to get the two women back.

If there was one thing that the people of Storybrooke knew how to do, was to rescue fellow companions. It only took twenty eight years, but they were finally rescued from the evil queen. Barely a week had passed since Emma and Mary Margaret were sucked into the hat, they had dealt with much worse.

“Hey, that reminds me, my mother got her magic back. Did you get yours?”

“I’m not sure” she replied with a frown. With everything that had been going on she had completely forgotten she was supposed to have powers. And to be fair, she hadn’t used them in years, so that also counted.

As she was thinking this, Henry looked around, seemingly for something specific. She frowned as he walked over to the sink, grabbed a teaspoon from the dishwasher and then came back, leaving it in front of her.

“Here, try turning this into gold” he indicated. Yazi was not sure how Mary Margaret would react upon seeing she had turned one of her utensils into something worth millions, but she had nothing to lose. There were plenty more spoons.

She mentally prepared herself. She didn’t know whether it was going to work or not, but what was more weird was the fact that she hadn’t done it in ages. She didn’t remember how it felt, and she didn’t know whether that was good or bad.

She reached out for the spoon, and placed one finger on it. For a while, she felt nothing and wondered if Regina was the only one who had gotten her powers back, but soon enough she felt a very familiar tingle extending from her head to her toes, and not long after the spoon that was once metal, was now golden. She chuckled joyfully, and when she looked at Henry she noticed his face had lit up like a christmas tree.

“That’s so cool”

“Thanks!” she smiled slightly. She was worried that so much time without using her powers would make them spiral again, but she knew now she didn’t have to worry about that anymore. After he had helped her control them, it shouldn’t surprise her. Hopefully they would never be a problem again “I have no idea what to do with this now though” she added, scanning the golden spoon.

“Sell it on EBay?” Henry suggested, and she chuckled though she wasn’t sure he was joking.

“Like anyone would believe it’s actual gold”

“You never know” he replied with a shrug “People believe everything these days”

“Says the boy who thought that everyone in this town was a fairytale character by simply reading a book” she pointed out logically.

“And who was the one who gave me said book in the first place?” he questioned, giving her a sly grin.

“Ah, touche” she admitted “So that means we’re both crazy”

“Possibly” he replied, and they chuckled just as they heard steps. They turned to look at the stairwell, to find David coming down, already dressed for the day

“Good morning, you two” he greeted with a smile, and just then his gaze set on the golden spoon “I assume you did that” he added, looking at Yazi.

“Maybe” she replied jokingly, and David just shook his head in amusement.

And for a brief moment, everything was okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like I said, not much happened, but I hope you enjoyed at least a little bit! And who do you think is the ‘he’ that Yazi is talking about?
> 
> I hope you guys have an amazing day, and I’ll read you on Sunday!


	7. Just A Nightmare

It was 11:30 PM and Yazi was the only person awake in the Blanchard loft. Henry and David were both sleeping, and...Well, Emma and Mary Margaret were still in the Enchanted Forest. She wondered how much more they would have to wait to get them back, she was beginning to miss them. 

At least she had her books to keep her company at such late hours. Currently she was reading a romance book, she was very invested on it, but suddenly something pulled her out of it. A scream. And it wasn’t just anyone’s scream, it was Henry’s.

With her heart pounding, she shut the book and rushed downstairs, where the boy was currently sleeping, forgetting to put on shoes or even a robe. She could have slipped down the stairs and it would have hurt badly, but, she didn’t know how, she managed not to as she reached the bed. David appeared behind her only seconds later. 

On the bed, a very disturbed Henry was breathing heavily, his eyes orbiting out of its sockets. A thread of sweat was covering his forehead.

“Are you okay? What happened?” Yazi asked, trying to calm down her racing heartbeat as she sat down on the bed next to him. 

“I-I just had the worst nightmare” he replied, his breathing coming out in brief gasps. Yazi looked down, to see that his hands were shaking.

“Hey, it’s okay” she assured patiently “It’s over now” David moved behind them, and they watched as he grabbed a matchbox that had been lying on the night table, and turned on a candle on it. 

“A candle?” Henry questioned. She could tell the boy was still shaken up, but gradually his heavy breathing was subsiding. She wondered what could be so horrible to alter him that much. 

“Yeah, to keep the nightmares away” David explained softly, before kneeling down next to the bed to be at his eye level “Now, talk to us” he added, giving Yazi a brief look and she nodded in agreement “What was so bad?”

“I-I was in this room” he began retelling “And it was red. And there were no doors, no windows...And these curtains” David nodded silently, telling him to continue as Yazi listened attentively “They were on fire” his grandfather caressed his head softly to keep on providing support “And I was in this corner, and…And I was looking out...And there was someone else there” Yazi frowned curiously, as he finished telling his nightmare “And she was staring at me from the flames, and then I woke up and…”

“Don’t worry about it” David kept calming him down “It was just a bad dream” he added, and Henry’s breathing finally recuperated its regularity.

“I can stay here for a while if you want” Yazi suggested. She was sure the last thing Henry wanted right now was to be alone, she knew what it felt like “I’m not tired anyway” the boy nodded, and David smiled gratefully at her.

“I could make some cocoa for you two” he offered, and both kids nodded. He caressed both their heads one last time, before going off to the kitchen and turning on the lights.

Yazi looked back at her friend, as she tried to figure out what to say to make him feel better. And then it occurred to her.

“I used to have nightmares as well” she admitted, and Henry looked at her curiously, shifting on his bed to a more comfortable position “I didn’t dream of burning rooms, but...I dreamt about my parents a lot when they died” it wasn’t the same, not at all, but she knew what it felt like to wake up from a nightmare. 

It was disorienting, you couldn’t quite place where you were and maybe you didn’t remember anything about the dream, but you had the feeling of it lingering in your heart long after it was erased from your mind. And if it was a nightmare, it was worse. You woke up in a pool of sweat and maybe tears, everything in your body telling you that you are still in the nightmare, still in danger even though you are not. And it can take a while for you to calm down and realize that you’re fine, that you’re safe. That it wasn’t real.

“And even after I escaped the Enchanted Forest, they still haunted me almost every night. I saw them dying over and over again, and I couldn’t do anything to help them. They kept telling me that it was my fault, that I was useless” she knew now that they would never think that, but back then she didn’t “I was nailed to my spot, just like I was that same day” the boy looked at her sympathetically, but she wasn’t telling him this so he could feel sympathy for her. There was another reason “But then...I met someone who helped me with them. It was one of the many things he did for me” she added with a small chuckle, as she thought of that curly haired boy she had spent so much time with. Henry smiled slightly upon hearing those words “He was the first person I told about…” she took a minute to look for the right word “My guilt. And he was also the first person who told me that it wasn’t my fault” and just like that, the nightmares were gone. All she needed was that one person to forgive her, to take the first step of many in the path of loving herself “And he also told me that it was just a nightmare. That it wasn’t real, and it would never harm me. Physically, at least” 

“He sounds like a great person” the boy finally said, once she was done talking.

“He was” she agreed, and then frowned “I don’t know where he is now, or what happened to him after we got separated”

“I’m sure he’s fine” he assured “He has to be” she gave him a confused look.

“What does that mean?”

“Well” he began “You are a hero, and if you were friends with him that means he’s a hero as well. And heroes always end up okay”

“Then guess what that means” she stated, and the boy gave her a curious look “It means that as my best friend, you are going to be okay as well”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short little scene I got the idea for after remembering that season two episode. Also, you get more information on the mysterious boy Yazi mentioned in the last chapter, I hope you haven’t forgotten that.
> 
> Hope you are enjoying these short scenes, and if you’re not, I’m sorry but don’t worry, they’re done for now. The next chapters will be longer, I promise. 
> 
> Have a nice week!


	8. The Gift

In the twenty eight years Yazi had been frozen in time, nobody, not even herself, remembered their birthdays. In fact, she didn’t have any memory of celebrating birthdays. And even when they happened, they still remained the same, they didn’t age. This would be the first year she would celebrate it, and the first year she would actually age. She would become a teenager, and she wasn’t sure how she felt about it. In her mind, she had become an adult a long time ago. She had to. It was the only way she was going to be able to survive.

She shook her head, trying to get rid of those negative thoughts. The last thing she wanted was negativity that day. It was her birthday, and she was going to enjoy it.

With one look at the alarm clock, she got up and began making her way downstairs. It was 10 AM.

In the lower floor, Mary Margaret was waiting for her. She was surprised to see her there, considering she had recently come back from the forest, she thought she would be exhausted. Nobody else was there.

“Oh, look who’s here!” the woman exclaimed happily, and Yazi didn’t realize until that moment how much she had missed her optimism.

“Hey, Mary Margaret” she greeted, the woman’s enthusiasm immediately bringing a smile to her face. As she reached out from behind the counter, the girl noticed that there was a plate of pancakes and a cup of cocoa already made for her. Her smile widened.

The woman finally found whatever she was looking for, and handed her a package wrapped in a yellow paper, her favourite colour. There was a white bow around it.

“Happy birthday, Yazi” she said, pulling the girl into a hug, which she returned tightly. When they broke apart, the girl sat down on the counter to open the present. It was quite heavy, and so neatly wrapped up that she almost felt bad about having it to tear it open.

Inside, a collector’s edition of _Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland_ was waiting for her. She gasped slightly, admiring the cover of it. There were shadows of the characters of the book painted in a very light blue, and the borders were decorated with details of deep blue. It was beautiful.

“When did you have time to get this?” that was the first thing that came to her mind, as she looked up at the woman who was smiling, seemingly pleased with the girl’s reaction.

“I got it around a month ago” she replied, and Yazi was amazed. She had gotten her gift with so much anticipation?

“Well, I love it” she replied “Thank you so much” she added, carefully placing it besides her breakfast.

“It’s nothing” she stated, shrugging it off “I’m glad you like it”

“I wonder if these stories actually happened” Yazi commented, talking about the book she had just gotten. She was aware of the existence of books that talked about Snow White, and Red Riding Hood, even Beauty & the Beast. She had read them many times, and she had also watched movies when her memories were erased, thinking it was just fiction. Now, all she could think of about those interpretations was how wrong they were. It was funny, to be honest.

I mean, Red Riding Hood being an innocent girl who got lost in the forest and fooled by a wolf? Yeah, right. Ruby could take down whoever she wanted if she put her mind to it. And granny could use a shotgun. That story couldn’t be more far off.

“I wouldn’t be surprised” she replied, leaning her arms on the counter “But I’ve never met either one of those people”

“Well, they’re in a completely different realm” Yazi said logically, and Mary Margaret nodded in agreement.

“Hey” the woman spoke up after some seconds of silence, making Yazi look at her curiously “I was thinking that maybe later we could go to Granny’s, have a small celebration amongst family. What do you think?”

“I’d like that” the girl admitted with a nod, making her smile.

“Great”

* * *

Some hours later, Yazi was staring at herself in the mirror, checking her outfit one last time. She wanted to look nice for this dinner; she hadn’t seen Emma, David or Henry all day, they weren’t in the house, and it worried her slightly. Especially the latter, she didn’t want to sound petty but she was hoping her own best friend would remember her birthday.

“Are you ready?” Mary Margaret’s voice came from downstairs.

“Yeah, I’ll be right there” she replied, looking into the mirror once more. Her curls were beginning to show up again, until the curse was broken she had straight hair, but now it was returning to its original form. She wondered if those two were connected at all. It was the only explanation she could find as to why they were showing up again out of nowhere. Not that she was complaining; her curly hair was a pain to maintain, but she liked it that way.

Pulling on a smile, she made her way downstairs, where Mary Margaret waited with her bag in hand.

“You look really nice” she admitted, scanning her light green dress, and the girl smiled.

“Thanks” no more words being exchanged, they both began making their way to granny’s. Yazi didn’t know who would be there, Mary Margaret hadn’t specified, she had just said there was going to be a gathering. That could mean anything.

And when she got into the restaurant, she couldn’t be more surprised.

“Happy birthday!”

Almost every single habitant of Storybrooke was there, except Regina of course, but she didn’t mind that. She’d rather have her as far away from her as possible.

The place had been decorated with pennants of all colours, all across the walls, and a group of them read ‘Happy birthday, Yazi’. The jukebox was on and it was playing what sounded like old 80s albums, which she didn’t mind at all. All the chairs had been moved to the sides, and several tables had been joined together at the middle to make a larger one, where cakes, biscuits, sandwiches and much more was placed in white dishes. Towards the corner of said table, there were bottles and paper cups.

“What is going on?” that was all she could manage to say. She didn’t know what exactly she had been expecting, but it wasn’t this. Though that didn’t mean she didn’t like it. Quite the contrary, actually, she was extremely touched that it was happening. It meant a lot, especially since she never really had so many people celebrating her birthday. Back in the enchanted forest, the villagers who knew her always made sure to wish her a good year, but the way of celebrating was with a bigger dinner than normal with her parents. There was never such a massive amount of food in those.

“Your birthday is the first one we celebrate in years” David began explaining, approaching the girl “So we thought it would be a good idea to honor it, and you at the same time. It’s a new beginning” the girl smiled upon hearing those very hopeful words “It was a collective idea”

“Congratulations, sister” Leroy stated, placing a hand on her shoulder.

“Thank you so much” she said, trying to sound as sincere as possible, which she was. She truly was.

“Everyone, dig in!” Granny announced, and so the celebration began.

* * *

 

Yazi was sitting at the bar, immersed in an idle chat with Ruby about series they had watched when Granny called her, asking her grandniece to help her refill the sandwiches plate the dwarfs had consumed. As they did that, the blonde looked around to see who had come.

Dr. Whale and Mother Superior in the corner. Mary Margaret, David and Ashley laughing on a table, the blonde holding her newborn baby in her arms. The dwarves drinking to their heart’s delight. Belle and even Rumplestiltskin, though she wasn’t sure how she felt about the latest. She didn’t trust him, not one bit, and especially not after what he did to her in their deal.

Yazi usually didn’t have a problem giving people the benefit of the doubt, that was one of the many things her parents had taught her, but with the dark one and the evil queen it was different. They had not only hurt her, but many people around her as well.

Regina claimed she was trying to be better, but Yazi wasn’t buying it, not even for a second. She wasn’t vengeful, she didn’t wish any harm to come to her or anyone, but that didn’t mean she was going to trust her. In fact, the less she trusted her, the better. She would not be harmed by her or Rumplestiltskin again. Ever again. And she would not let them harm anyone she cared about either.

And as she thought of the people she cared about, she noticed two of them were missing.

“Hey, Ruby?” she asked the girl, who had just come back from delivering the dishes to the table. The black haired gave her a curious look “Have you seen Henry or Emma?”

“They were here earlier this morning, helping set up the table” she replied, leaning forward on the counter “Afterwards they left, and I haven’t seen them ever since”

“I see” she observed, her heart sinking slightly.

“Don’t worry” Ruby stated, probably noticing her face “I’m sure they’ll be here soon”

“I know” she replied with a nod and a smile, reminding herself she was not going to sulk in her special day.

“Are you enjoying yourself?” she felt someone ask besides her, and turned to the side to see Mary Margaret.

“A lot” she admitted “So seems everyone else” she added, looking around “Was this planned beforehand as well?” she asked, because otherwise she wouldn’t understand how exactly everything came to be with what had been going on.

“As soon as the curse was broken” admitted the woman with a nod “I remembered your birthday was coming up in a couple weeks, so David and I gathered everyone and we arranged it. It was going to happen even if we didn’t return”

“I’m glad you did” Yazi stated, making her smile.

“Me too”

And just then, the front door opened, and in came Emma and Henry. The girl smiled happily, her demeanor lighting up.

“Sorry we’re late” Emma apologized, approaching the two of them at the counter “We got caught up in something” she added with a joyful smile, and as Yazi was about to ask what that meant, Henry spoke up.

“I needed to get your gift” he reached out for his backpack and pulled out a small box wrapped in golden paper, with a yellow ribbon.

“Henry, you didn’t have to”

“But I did anyway” he stated, handing her the box which she took with a big smile “Go on, open it” he urged, his eyes full of happiness and hope.

And so, she did. She carefully unwrapped the gift, to reveal a red velvet box underneath. It felt smooth as she took off the lid, and when she what was on the inside, she couldn’t believe it.

Her eyes found a thin golden chain, with a golden star pendant filled with some diamond dots.

“It’s...It’s beautiful” she stated, and then frowned “How did you afford this?” from the looks of it, it sure wasn’t cheap.

“All my savings, and I had a bit of help from Emma” he explained, as said woman smiled “I thought about buying a regular chain and ask you to turn it into gold, but that would have ruined the surprise” a collective chuckle was heard from the three people there.

“Thank you so much” she stated, carefully leaving the box in the counter and pulling both, Emma and Henry into a hug, which they returned “I love it”

“Henry chose it” the blonde woman commented.

“It’s a star, because as the golden child, that’s your symbol” Henry explained, sitting in the stool next to her “So you never forget who you are” Yazi smiled, amazed at how much thought she had given to her gift. She would make sure to give his next birthday gift the same amount of consideration, if not more. It’s the least she could do.

“Here, do you want me to put it on you?” Emma suggested, reaching out for the box, and Yazi nodded as she turned around to face Mary Margaret who seemed just as touched as herself.

The gold felt cold against her neck, but Emma’s warm hands dulled some of it. It didn’t feel as heavy as she thought it’d be either, she wondered if that was taken into account when making it.

When she felt the pendant softly hitting her chest, she made a silent promise to cherish that gift forever. She would never take it off. She would guard it with her life and, like Henry said, it would be a reminder, not only of who she was, but of her very own best friend. She would forever remember that he had wasted everything on it, because he considered she deserved it. She couldn’t mention a lot of people who had done that for her, who had cared for her so much, but Henry Mills was definitely one of them. And she hoped he would always remain that way.

* * *

 

Later that day, it was 7 PM and the celebration had been over for quite some hours. Everyone had stayed to help Granny and Ruby clean the place up, before going back to their homes.

Yazi was currently upstairs in her room, reading the book that had started it all. Most specifically, one of the stories of it.

“Hey!” she heard Henry’s voice, and she looked up to find him approaching her. She was once again conscious of the pendant that weighed around her neck, and it brought a smile to her face.

“Hey”

“What are you reading?” he asked curiously, sitting besides her and leaning over the book, closer to her shoulder.

“I’m just reminiscing” she explained, as she stared at the smiling faces of her parents in an illustration that showed the three of them having one of her birthday dinners. Candles were lit, placed in a golden candelabra, a ten year old version of herself sitting in the middle spot of the table. That was her last birthday with her family.

“You miss them, don’t you?” Henry asked quietly, staring into her green eyes.

“I do” she admitted, closing the book and leaving it besides her before meeting his gaze “But I know they’re in a better place now. That’s what comforts me”

“They were heroes” the boy stated with a nod “Wherever they are, I’m sure they’re watching over you”

“And besides, they’re not completely gone” she added, as he gave her a curious look “Remember the birth mark I have on my shoulder?” she asked and Henry nodded.

“It shows that you are the Golden Child”

“Yeah” replied the girl “But mother used to say something else about it” Henry looked at her curiously, eager to hear “She used to say that each tip of the star represented one of my virtues”

She explained this as she moved her hair aside, and lowered the collar of her t-shirt enough to show it to him. She started to touch each tip as she explained what it meant. 

“This one represents kindness, this one represents compassion, this one represents fairness, this one love and this one intelligence” she finished with Henry still looking at her “I did the things, but mother and father named them” she started again, letting go of the collar “If I stick to these virtues, it makes me feel closer to them somehow” Henry smiled upon hearing this “It’s kind of silly” she stated, shrugging it off.

“No, it’s not” he replied, shaking his head “I think it’s really sweet” the girl looked at him surprised.

“Really?”

“Yeah, I wish I had something like that. Something to make me feel special” she looked at him sympathetically.

“You are special, Henry. And you don’t need a birthmark to show it” he smiled slightly.

“Yeah, I guess” an idea then occurred to her, seeing as he didn’t sound so convinced. She smiled and reached out for a marker that had been on the nighttable until then. Henry looked at her curiously as she placed it on his wrist and started to draw a pattern.

“What are you doing?”

“Making you feel special” replied the girl simply. She focused on trying to draw it as perfect as she could.

After some seconds, she finished, satisfied with her job.

“A moon?” Henry questioned, staring at the symbol in his wrist.

“The night sky” she stated simply “I have a star, you have the moon. They compliment each other”

“You’re so cheesy” he stated, shaking his head in amusement.

“You gave me a star necklace, and you call me cheesy?” she teased, making him chuckle.

“Fair point” he agreed, with a smile “But thanks”

“My pleasure”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That last scene is a scene I wrote a very long time ago, one of the first for this story. I made some slight changes, but the basis is still the same. And Henry’s gift will hold much more importance than you think in the future, so don’t forget it!
> 
> So now we move on to some canon episodes of season two, I’m quite excited for those, I hope you are as well! 
> 
> Hopefully I’ll see you again on Wednesday. Have a nice week!


	9. Familiarity

“You were out all night, where were you?” Henry questioned, going down the stairs with Yazi following him, both in their pajamas. As soon as they heard the door open, they knew their family was back. At 8 AM.

What they had been doing, either of them knew. They had been left out of it.

“Granny wouldn’t say anything, we were worried about you” the girl added, staring at them. Mary Margaret, David and Emma looked like they had been ran over by train, to put it lightly. Emma especially seemed like she would pass out at any moment.

“Everything’s fine, kids” David assured “Cereal?” he added, grabbing some bowls from the shelf as he talked to Emma.

“Yeah”

“Rumpelstiltskin and Hook fought, and someone got hurt” Mary Margaret explained, pouring some coffee into a mug.

“Dr. Frankenstein healed him” Emma added, as the two best friends sat by the counter.

“Doctor?” Henry questioned with a frown.

“Whale, I assume” Yazi stated, making them nod.

“Yeah, but without the neck bolts”

“The monster had the bolts, not the doctor” Henry clarified, and if he hadn’t done it, Yazi would have.

“Yeah, but either way, some of us having known him, it’s weird…” the blonde stated, giving Mary Margaret an amused glance. Yazi choked on some of her cereal, trying to suppress a laugh. She had almost forgotten about the fact that Mary Margaret and Dr. Whale used to date, or something

“It’s not weird” the black haired said firmly “We’re past it, we were cursed”

“What are you talking about?” Henry questioned confused.

“Nothing” David stated, placing a bowl of cereal in front of Emma, and when they weren’t looking, Yazi she grabbed a napkin, scribbled something and passed it to Henry.

**I’ll tell you later.**

He just nodded, and stood up. Yazi followed him with her gaze, until he came back holding the book.

“Frankenstein isn’t in here” he announced, sitting back on the stool “It’s not even a fairytale, that means he comes from another land with different stories”

“Eat” Emma urged, placing the bowl of cereal on top of his book “I really want to go to bed”

“Wouldn’t that mean that the curse hit those lands as well?” Yazi asked curiously, as Emma besides her buried her head in her arms tiredly. The girl felt bad, but it was actually a very interesting theory.

“If it did, then who knows who else could be in this town” Henry added, just as a knock was heard. Emma went over to open it, only for it to open itself, and reveal Mr. Gold on the other side.

“Gold” the woman greeted, as the sorcerer walked inside the loft “We’ve all had a long night”

“You remember that favour you owe me, Miss Swan?” he asked, completely ignoring her words.

“Yeah” she replied quizzically, as Henry and Yazi exchanged confused glances. What favor?

“I’m cashing it in”

“It’s not a good…” she began, as David approached them cautiously.

“You do honor your agreements, don’t you?” he interrupted, as Yazi and Henry approached as well, while Mary Margaret remained behind. Emma just sighed “I need to find someone” he began explaining “So we’re leaving today, pack your bags”

“Leaving?” Mary Margaret spoke up, finally approaching them.

“Where?” Henry questioned confused.

“Find someone?” Yazi asked, wondering who exactly that could be “Who?”

“My son” he replied, making the girl arch her eyebrows “It has to be today, because every minute I’m here, it’s a minute closer to me killing Hook. So it’s better if I just leave, and you two” he motioned to Emma and Yazi “Are coming with me”

“Me? Why?” it’s not that she didn’t want to help, but, to be honest, she didn’t trust him.

“My son is far away from this town” he explained, and made a pause “He’s in New York, and you, Miss Scarlett, spent quite some time there, so you know how it works” Yazi knew what he was talking about. After walking through that mysterious door, she had ended up in the real world, more specifically, Manhattan. She had no supplies and no money, so she had to do whatever she could to survive. And that included many things she was not proud of, but they were necessary.  
So yes, she did know her way around the big city.

“And I could use your knowledge” the girl looked at Mary Margaret quizzically. She was her guardian, afterall, and she knew that she liked Rumpelstiltskin even less than her. And after everything he had done, she couldn’t blame her.

“It’s your call, Yazi” she stated. Even though the woman was her guardian, she had always, even when they were cursed, allow her to do what she thought was the right thing to do, instead of just telling her.

Yazi reflected for a moment. She didn’t like the thought of being around Rumplestiltskin any more than she had to, but at the same time, she did know what it was like to lose your parents. She would give everything to have them back with her; she didn’t know what happened to Gold’s son, but whoever he was, he might actually feel the same way as her.

And besides, a trip to New York did sound like fun.

“Okay” she nodded, looking back at Rumpelstiltskin.

“How will she cross the town line without being affected by the spell?” asked Emma, while Mary Margaret and David stared at Mr. Gold quizzically.

“Nothing will happen to her” he assured, but Yazi still wasn’t sure.

“How do you know?”

“As the Golden Child, you are immune to magical barriers”

“Meaning?” questioned David, making the wizard scowl.

“She can cross the town line and still keep her memories”

* * *

 

Some hours later, Emma, Yazi and Henry were carrying their last bags to the door. And yes, Henry was coming as well, because Emma didn’t want to leave him alone with villains lurking about, and the girl had to agree. Having Henry with her would also make the trip a bit more enjoyable.

“Are you ready, Miss Swan?” Yazi heard Gold ask, as she carried her small bag to the living room.

“Almost”

“Do you think we’ll be cold where we’re going or warm?” Henry questioned curiously as he came to a stop in front of Emma, his suitcase behind him.

“I think layers are always a good idea” she replied simply, to which he nodded.

“I thought the terms of our agreement were quite clear” Gold began “You and the girl, nobody else”

“And I thought you out of all people who know the importance of names” Yazi shot pointedly, which made him glare, but she wasn’t fazed.

“I’m not leaving Henry with Cora lurking about, so either all three of us go, or the three of us stay” she declared, and Gold’s gaze showed he knew he was not going to get what he wanted otherwise.

“I guess I’ll have to purchase another plane ticket” he stated, giving Henry, who was half-way through putting on his jacket, a glance.

“We’re flying?” Emma wondered, and Yazi silently did as well. She thought they were driving, Manhattan wasn’t that far away, but if Gold wanted to leave as soon as possible it made sense to leave by plane, the faster way.

“Don’t worry, I’m covering expenses, even the new ones” Gold stated firmly, as Mary Margaret helped Henry put his coat on and Yazi placed a light blue scarf around her neck.

“You’re a real gentleman, aren’t you?” David questioned, lowering down the stairs with Emma’s bag in hand. His daughter grabbed it, and as he went to talk with Gold about something, the other three said their goodbyes to Mary Margaret.

“Have a safe flight” she wished, pulling Yazi in for a hug.

“Will do” she stated, burying her head in her neck before breaking apart “Don’t miss me too much” she added, to ease some of the tension, which made her chuckle.

“I’ll try” she stated with a smile, and her face then faltered slightly, as she sneaked the wizard a glance “And...Be careful around Gold”

“Don’t worry” she replied, shaking her head. She had learn the hard way not to trust him.

“Nothing will happen to her with me around” Emma assured from behind, making both of them smile “I promise”

“Thanks, Emma” Mary Margaret stated, pulling her daughter into a hug “You take care as well”

“I will” she stated, and then looked at the blonde girl “Ready, kid?” she questioned, placing a hand on her shoulder, and Yazi nodded in agreement.

“Ready”

* * *

 

“So you have immunity to barriers” Emma commented from the co-pilot’s seat, looking at Yazi in the backseat, next to Henry from the rearview mirror.

“Apparently”

“You didn’t know about it before?”

“After I left the forest, I didn’t have a lot of encounters with magic” she explained, looking through the window, as the Storybrooke woods rushed by “And even when I did, I never found any barriers” she added “So I had no way of realizing” Emma nodded in understanding, before turning to look at Gold, who was driving on their way to the airport.

“You really think that chal will work?” she questioned, looking at the yellow piece of clothing around his neck. According to him, it was imbued with magic that would make him immune to the memory wipe once they crossed the barrier.

“Well, if it doesn’t, and I revert to my cursed self, we’re all gonna have some problems” he said lugubriously, and a tense atmosphere set in the car, as Henry and Yazi sunk in their seats “It’ll work” he added with a small grin. And Yazi hoped, for their sake, that it was true.

The woods were growing further away, the girl spotted the ‘leaving Storybrooke’ sign some distance away, and gulped. It wasn’t that she didn’t believe Rumplestiltskin's words about her immunity, because he had no reason to lie about it.

At least, she hoped he didn’t.

But it was still nerve wracking, especially since she was going back to the place that changed her so much.

They finally crossed the town line, and a pulse of blue magic was sent their way, towards Rumplestiltskin, accompanied by a gust of wind.

Silence.

“So?” Emma asked nervously, as the two kids exchanged antsy glances. Yazi perfectly remembered who she was, so that meant Gold had to as well.

Right?

“My name is Rumpelstiltskin” he declared, and Yazi let out a breath she didn’t know she had been holding “And we’re gonna find my son”

* * *

 

Yazi, Henry and Emma were sitting on some chairs, waiting for their boarding time as Mr. Gold anxiously paced back and forth.

“Do you wanna go on and see if you make a hole in the floor?” Yazi commented, leaning back on the seat. The man stared at her, clearly not amused, but all she did was grin innocently.

“Do you want something to eat?” Emma questioned, and Yazi could tell she was trying her best not to laugh. She had to admit, it was quite amusing to see the great Rumplestiltskin behaving like a normal human being who had never been on a plane before. It almost made him look innocent, though everyone knew he wasn’t.

“No” he stated, continuing his pacing.

“Is something wrong?” the woman asked once again.

“Stop asking me that!” he said sternly, slightly startling her. He sighed “I’ll be right back” the three of them watched him leave towards the bathroom, dragging the awkward atmosphere with him.

“So you’ve been in New York before” Henry spoke up, giving Yazi a curious look, and she could tell Emma seemed interested as well.

“When I left the forest, I walked through a portal and it took me to Manhattan” she began explaining “I only had my clothes and sword with me” she added, gathering her thoughts to figure out how exactly she was going to say what she had to say. They deserved to know, especially her best friend, after everything he had done for her “And nobody was going to give a job to an eleven year old girl, so...I had to resort to other things”

“Like?” Henry asked, and Emma gave her a sympathetic glance. Yazi knew why, if there was someone who understood what that was like, was the savior. The girl took a deep breath.

“I learned a lot when I was staying with Snow White” she replied “About...Ambushes and banditry. So...I used that knowledge to survive” the woman nodded in understanding, and he remained quiet, listening attentively “I’m not proud of it, at all”

“That doesn’t make you any less of a hero” her best friend stated “You didn’t really have a choice”

“I know, but...It doesn’t really make me feel better about it” she was over it now, but from time to time those memories showed up again, like an open wound “If I could take it all back, I would”

“And that’s what makes you a good person” Emma spoke up, making the girl look at her curiously “That makes you better than most. Trust me, I know” she smiled, but there was a hint of melancholy in her eyes, thought it was quickly erased “You’ve made up for it in more ways than you know, so no more feeling guilty about it, okay? You’re much more than that” Yazi smiled upon hearing those words, it was one of the first times that Emma said something like that to her, and it warmed her heart.

“Thanks, Emma” the woman just smiled at her, as the coms announced that their flight was boarding soon.

“I’ll go tell Mr. Gold” Henry decided, standing up and going off.

* * *

 

“It still looks the same” Yazi observed Manhattan, as Mr. Gold, Henry, Emma and her got off a cab, in front of what Gold thought to be his son’s place “Except less... menacing” she added, making Emma smile slightly. It was weird, a good weird, but still weird, being there and not having to hide from cops, or run away from vendors, or see wanted posters with her face on them.

Yes, she had gone that far.

She had to admit, when they first landed in Manhattan, she was kinda worried people would still be looking for her in the 21st century, but she quickly realized that it was illogical since twenty eight years had passed since her thieving days. And she only had been there for six months, which wasn’t that long for people to remember her. Besides, she tried to be as sneaky as possible. She was always wearing a hood, and the only reason the police got their hands on a picture, was because they asked the only victim who saw her for a description, and a sketcher drew it.

“Is this the right place?” Henry questioned curiously, as they looked up at a grey apartment building.

“Yes, it is” Gold confirmed solemnly.

“Let me guess, he’s not expecting you” Emma commented, and his silence confirmed her suspicions “Well, who doesn’t love a surprise” she added, as Henry and her began to make their way inside the building.

“I can stay here in case he decides to run away” Yazi suggested, and the woman gave her an amused glance “I used to be a thief, remember? Running away was my specialty”

“Okay, Robin Hood” she stated with a smile “Yell if you see anything”

“Will do”

“Do you think Robin Hood is real as well?” Henry questioned innocently, making both of them chuckle.

“C’mon” Emma said, placing a hand on his shoulder and walking him inside. Yazi looked at Gold, who was quite stiff and seemed like he had seen a ghost.

“Well?” she demanded “You came all the way here, there’s no turning back now”

“I’m not” he stated firmly, giving the building one lasting look before finally going inside.

While they were doing that, Yazi looked around. Manhattan was as busy as ever, people coming and going, maybe to their jobs, maybe to appointments or just for some food. The building was in a nice zone, full of restaurants and shops, certainly a good place to pass by unnoticed. She didn’t remember being in that neighbourhood specifically, and she knew many of them, since she made sure to never stay in a same place for too long. In ambushes, you stayed in the same place because you wanted to find someone, but that also made you an easy target. Anyone could spot you, and what Yazi most wanted was to be invisible, and not end up in juvie. So every week or so she would move locations, finding shelter in an alley or somewhere with a roof if it was raining, though there were some occasions in which she stayed in open air even if there was a storm, since she hadn’t found anywhere to go. Those days were the worst. The first few times she ended up really sick, but after two months or so she became more resistant to them. And she also got better at finding shelter.

As she reminisced about all those memories, she heard the sound of a metal door opening, and when she looked to her left she spotted a hooded figure going down the stairs on the side of the building. She wondered if that was the famous son they were looking for, and when she looked inside the building, she noticed Emma, Henry and Gold walking towards the entrance with hurried expressions, and she didn’t need to be told twice what to do.

She ran.

“Yazi!” she heard Emma call, but she didn’t stop, she didn’t want to lose sight of the escapee. She hoped she hadn’t lost her stamina, because she was sure she would need it for the next twenty seconds.

She went down the street, trying not to slip on the wet ground, product of a recent storm. Thankfully, she was wearing sneakers. People stepped aside when they saw her coming their way, she was sure she bumped into a few, but there was no time for apologies. She passed by, at least, three green traffic lights, right through the middle of the streets, but she would have barely noticed if it wasn’t because of all the honks directed at her. She watched the runaway jumped over some metal poles chained together, and she did the same, always keeping her gaze up.

He went through a gallery, pushing a poor man out of his way, and Yazi felt tempted to stop and check on him, but she couldn’t. The other man went left, but there was a path right ahead of her that would most certainly lead her in the same direction. So she went that way. There was an empty stand full of kids’ toys as she rounded a corner, and on it there was an opened box with some marbles. She grabbed a bunch as she rushed by.

She got out of the alley and rolled the marbles through the stone floor, towards the street, just as the stranger passed, making him slip down. Yazi rushed towards him before he could escape; she could finally catch her breath, and take a good look at the guy.

But before she could say anything, he spoke up.

“Yazi?”


	10. Fueling The Fire

Yazi frowned, cautiously taking some steps back.

“How do you know my name?” she searched his face for any signs that would allow her to recognize the man, maybe she stole something from him in her thieving days? But she quickly dismissed that idea, she would recognize someone like that, her guilt was not going to allow her to forget about those she hurt so easily.

But then, how did he know who she was?

“It’s-It’s Baelfire” he replied, and her eyes opened wide, her eyebrows arched. He was grown up, taller and older, but his brown eyes remained the same as when he was a kid.

“Oh my god, Bae!” she exclaimed, reaching out to hug him. He had to bend down a lot to do so, but his warmth was the same as she remembered “What are you doing here?” she questioned excited, once they broke apart.

“I-I live here now” he explained, which made her frown.

“But how did you get out?” the place they had been in wasn’t exactly easy to escape. To be honest, she wasn’t even entirely sure how she could.

“I managed to fool it, and earn a ride back home” he replied, and Yazi knew what ‘it’ was.

“Smart” she commented, making him smile.

“Yazi!” they heard a voice behind them, and turned around to find Emma, finally catching up. She looked relieved to see the girl, but when she spotted Baelfire her eyes opened wide, almost in horror.

“Neal?” Yazi furrowed her eyebrows. ‘Neal?’ Since when?

“Emma” the man replied, almost in a whisper, which confused her even more.

“You know each other?” the girl managed to ask, cutting her gaze between the two of them.

“It’s-it’s complicated” he explained. Yazi took notice of the awkward atmosphere that had set, as Emma looked to the side uncomfortably and Bae rubbed the back of his neck nervously. It wouldn’t take a genius to figure out what was going on.

“Oh” that was all she could manage to say, and then she realized something. Something she didn’t know how to feel about “Wait a second” she spoke up, looking at him once again “If you’re here...And you were trying to run away from us...That means you are Rumplestiltskin’s son!” his eyes opened wide upon hearing that.

“He’s here?” he questioned in disbelief.

“It’s why we came” Yazi explained, motioning to Emma and her “You didn’t tell me that your father was the dark one”

“I didn’t want anyone to know”

“You know each other” Emma concluded.

“We were friends when we were kids” the girl explained, and then tilted her head to the side “When he was a kid”

“So you knew” the woman realized sternly, looking at Bae with fire in her eyes “You knew who I was and where I was from the whole time” he didn’t answer, and that was enough confirmation “What was it? Part of some sickening plan?” she added, a bit more angry this time “Did you-did you even care about me at all?” she demanded, while Yazi remained quietly on the sidelines, not really knowing what to say or do in regards to the situation.

“Emma…” Neal began calling for her, almost pleadingly.

“Yazi, go back” she ordered, ignoring him.

“But…”

“You’re under my care, and I’m not going to argue with you about this” she cut her off sternly “Go back now” she added, more firmly. And the girl knew she had no choice, so she gave her old friend one last glance, wondering if she would ever see him again afterwards, before going off.

* * *

 

All the way back to Bae’s apartment, Yazi was immersed deep in her thoughts. First, she knew it was none of her business, but she had to admit she was a bit was curious about what exactly Emma and Bae had been through, although she wasn’t going to ask about it, ‘cause that would be weird.

Second, she thought about what exactly she’d say to Henry and Rumpelstiltskin. Especially to the latest, since she remembered perfectly well how Bae felt about him and his world. He didn’t want anything to do with it or him, at all. In fact, if she was sure of anything, she was sure that the reason he decided to live in New York was to avoid exactly that. And she would be a terrible friend if she brought him back into it, contrary to the reason why she had come in that trip in the first place.

She just hoped the dark one wouldn’t see through her. He wouldn’t be able to hurt her in the land without magic, at least she hoped so, but part of her still got nervous everytime she was around him. And she was sure she wasn’t the only one. He had that effect on people. She knew better than to underestimate him.

“Yazi!” Henry’s voices pulled her out of her thoughts, and when she looked up she found she had arrived to the apartment building. Henry was sitting there against a wall, eating a hot dog that Gold, who was sitting besides him, had probably bought him.

“Did you find him? Did you find my son?” the man questioned sternly, standing up. His eyes held a hint of hope, but she wasn’t going to budge.

“I wasn’t fast enough” she replied, shaking her head and his demeanor faltered “Emma sent me back, and said she would ask around” she added, and Henry nodded in agreement, which made her feel slightly guilty. But she could not say anything in Rumpelstiltskin's presence, even if it was in secret, since she was sure he would not let anything suspicious pass by. She had to wait for the right time, since she hated lying to her best friend.

Several minutes after Yazi arrived to the building, Emma did.

“Hey” she said softly, and stole a glance at the golden child. The girl could see in her face she was trying to figure out what happened when she was gone, whether she had told the truth or not.

“Did you find him?” the girl asked, indirectly answering her silent question. She saw the woman smile slightly, almost in relief.

“I’m sorry, your son got away” she stated remorsefully. Yazi looked at Gold, and saw several different emotions sliding through his eyes. Desperation, disbelief, confusion, sadness. It almost made her feel bad, almost. It would take a lot more than that for her to feel any sympathy for the dark one.

And suddenly, he turned around, his eyes fiery and began pressing, almost punching, every single button in the panel of the building. She wasn’t sure how many people were actually in the building considering it was business hours, but there had to be someone, and she felt very bad for whoever it was.

“Gold, what are you doing?” Emma questioned in confusion, just as the buzzer ringed, and allowed him to open the gate leading to the rest of the building.

“Finding my son” he replied sternly.

“He’s gone” Yazi and Emma stated at the same time, which resulted in a weird exchange of glances before looking back at him.

“But he lives here” Rumplestiltskin continued stubbornly “He’ll be back, and I’ll be waiting” he added, before going up the stairs. Yazi sighed, following him, the other two behind.

“You can’t just break in” Emma tried to talk him out of it, but Yazi knew it was probably not going to work.

“Well, actually, that’s something I’m quite adept at” he replied nonchalantly, looking around to find the apartment, before spotting it besides them.

“We don’t even know if he’ll be back” the girl chimed in, trying to convince herself more than anything. She’d feel terrible if that wasn't the case, especially since Bae had repeatedly told her he hated his father. And she had dragged him right back into his life. She felt awful.

“Finding people is what you do, Miss Swan” Gold stated, ignoring her words as he forced open the lock on the door with a lockpick. Yazi wondered if he had that on him all this time “I’m simply going to assist you, there might be information here. Who he is, what he does, who he loves”

“Don’t do this” Emma pleaded “There are things called laws, you could get arrested”

“Then my son will have to testify against me, and we’ll be reunited” he said with a deadpan face, and Yazi raised an eyebrow, wondering if he actually meant that. She didn’t think he didn’t, he seemed pretty desperate, and there’s no stopping a desperate soul.

The lock finally clicked, and the door opened. Gold walked inside without a hint of doubt, and Yazi braced herself for what she would find, before following them inside.

The apartment was a studio apartment, there was the kitchen section on her left and a made bed on the corner of the room. A desk was placed in front of the window, and when Yazi looked down she realized that was how he managed to escape. There was a small balcony, with several stairs connecting all the apartments in the building. There was a phonograph and several vinyl records piled up on some shelves, along with books close to the door. There was a single separate space, the bathroom. Everything else was confined into the same small space, but it was quite organized.

“I don’t think we should be here” Yazi spoke up. It was wrong, they were invading someone else’s privacy unbeknownst to them. There were probably many things there that Bae didn’t want anyone to see.

“I don’t think he’s listening” Henry said, and he was right. Gold just kept walking ahead, looking around and the several posters hanging from the walls. And soon enough, Henry began doing the same. Yazi couldn’t help smiling in amusement.

Maybe this could be her chance to talk to him.

Looking around, she spotted Gold still looking around, and Emma gazing uncomfortably at the room.

“You know, the laws apply to you too” she joked, approaching Henry who was opening some lockers, in search of who knows what.

“There has to be something that can help Gold” he explained, looking at her, and she just bit her lip. She looked around once more, nobody was looking at them, before leaning closer to her friend, just in case.

“Maybe he doesn’t want to be found” she said, almost in a whisper, and Henry looked at her with a frown. She gave him a glance, trying to silently convey why she said something like that. He tilted his head to the side, but before he could say anything, Gold spoke up.

“Find anything, dearie?” he questioned, and when the two kids turned to look at him, they saw Emma holding the dreamcatcher that had been hanging from the window until then.

“No” she replied “Just a dreamcatcher” Yazi frowned, trying to read her expression. She seemed dumbfounded, and even a little melancholic. The dreamcatcher definitely meant more than what she pretended.

“If it’s nothing, then why are you still holding it?” Emma didn’t know what to answer to that, and that was enough. Gold’s eyes opened wide “You’re lying to me” 

“Let’s get back to looking, okay?” she replied, putting the object back in its place and ignoring his words, but not denying them either.

“No, no, no, you saw something, tell me”

“You are being delusional” Yazi spoke up, trying to shift the focus of the conversation.

“Tell me!” he demanded, and she flinched slightly.

“Henry, Yazi, wait in the bathroom” the woman indicated.

“No, no, the girl stays here, you are both hiding something from me”

“I can help” the boy argued.

“Henry, go!” Emma snapped, and Yazi could see a look of hurt in Henry’s eyes as he did as told. She wanted to go after him, but she knew Gold was not going to let her “There’s nothing here, the guy’s a ghost”

“You take me a fool?” Gold asked, both his hands lying on the upper part of his cane. Somehow, he looked even creepier that way “You are both holding back, I wanna know what and why”

“We’re not” Emma argued.

“Did he tell you something?”

“Gold…”

“Did he tell you something?!” Yazi pressed her lips together, jaw clenched, doing her hardest to hold back her anger. Who did he think he was to yell at them like that?

Unfortunately, Rumplestiltskin noticed that gesture.

“You” he said venomously, approaching her but she didn’t back away “You know something, you talked to him”

“I don’t-”

“Tell me!”

“Leave Yazi out of this, Gold, she’s just a child!” Emma stood up for the girl, whose patience was draining.

“Capable of more things than you can imagine” Gold stated, almost demeaning her, which didn’t do anything to ease her boiling rage “You’re smart, you managed to fool me all this time, but that is over. You know something, Miss Scarlett, and you are going to tell me what”

“I don’t have to tell you anything”

“So you did talk to him”

“Don’t put words in her mouth”

“Tell me what it is!” he demanded, ignoring Emma’s words and looking straight at the girl “Tell me, or I’m gonna make you tell me” he added through clenched teeth.

“Really? How are you gonna do that?” Yazi questioned, knowing full well she was probably digging her own grave “You have no magic here, and without it, you have no power”

“I don’t need magic” he hissed, approaching her.

“Stay away from her, Gold” Emma stated, standing in front of the girl protectively.

“Do not push me”

“Don’t push me!”

“If you take a closer look at yourself, I think you’d realize why your son doesn’t want to see you” Yazi spoke up, only adding more fuel to the fire. The logical part of her brain was telling her to shut up, but it was faded out the more the dark one kept pushing.

“You did lie to me”

“And you tossed your son to a unknown world because you didn’t want to give up your power, so who’s the true criminal here?”

“We had a deal! A deal!” he screamed, violently pushing a stool to the floor. Emma turned around to wrap her arms around Yazi, trying to keep her as far away from Gold as possible, who was out of his mind “No one, no one, breaks a deal with me!” he roared.

“HEY!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We all know who that is, but this chapter was getting longer than I originally intended to so I cut off the flashback parts, which will appear in the last chapter of season two. Only two chapters left, and then we move on to season 3.
> 
> Also, Yazi standing up to Gold, thoughts on that? I know so far you haven’t seen her doing much of that, but it was because she didn’t have a reason to. Now, with Neal in the picture, she does. You will see more of that in 3A, and also how the friendship with Neal came to be. I’m quite excited for that; no spoilers, but there’s a scene that might seem meaningless at first, when it will actually be the foreshadowing of many things to come, so be on the lookout for that. It will happen in a flashback scene, that’s all I can tell you. 
> 
> Thanks for sticking with this story even if I haven’t uploaded so often, but luckily I’m almost done with exams and hopefully the uploads will be right back on schedule.
> 
> See you soon!


	11. Bonding

“Bae” Gold breathed out, a smile that was a complete contrast to what he had been doing merely ten seconds ago. His son just nodded silently, his eyes guarded “You came back for me”

“No” he replied, shaking his head and taking him by surprise “I came to make sure you didn’t hurt them” he added, motioning to the two people in the corner of the room. Emma still had her arms wrapped around Yazi “I’ve seen what you do to the people who break deals”

“Please, Bae, just let me talk”

“I have no interest in talking to you, go” he motioned to the door, avoiding eye contact with him.

“I’m not going anywhere” the man replied, shaking his head, and Yazi could only get even more annoyed than before due to his stubbornness. But Emma’s embrace was calming her down to some extent.

“Get out of my apartment!”

“Are you okay?” Emma looked at the girl she was holding, who nodded in assurance. The woman smiled slightly, before breaking away and looking at Bae “Neal…”

“Emma, I got this” the both of them exchanged glances, and the atmosphere was so dense Yazi was sure she could slice it with a knife. Gold cut his gaze between the two of them, trying to figure out what was going on, and he quickly did.

“You two know each other” nobody answered “You two know each other, how?”

“You sent me chasing after him!” Emma indicated sternly.

“No, no, no, stop it!” Gold exclaimed “You’re lying. How do you two know each other?!”

“Mom, what’s going on?” they heard Henry’s voice, and they turned to look at him, to find that he had left the bathroom and was probably so confused as to what was going on.

Emma brought him close to her, and fixed the neck of his coat, before squatting down to be at his eye level.

“Who’s this?” Neal questioned in a whisper.

“My son” she replied, giving him a quick glance before looking back at Henry.

“What?”

“Is that Baelfire?” the boy questioned, giving the other man a curious glance.

“I need you to stay with Yazi in the other room for a little while, okay?” Emma said softly, giving the girl a concerned glance “Please?” the girl just nodded in understanding, since, to be honest, she didn’t feel like being in that place any longer.

“How old are you?” Neal questioned, as the two friends walked towards the bathroom.

“Don’t answer” the woman indicated.

“How old are you, kid?!”

“Thirteen!” he cried, turning around “Now, why is everyone yelling?!”

“He’s thirteen” Neal breathed out, looking at Emma for answers, but she didn’t say anything.

“Mom?” Henry asked confused, and Yazi at this point was as well. What started out as a fun trip to Manhattan with her best friend to find a missing kid, turned out to be a cluster mess of screams, lies and very stupid decisions. Yazi had half of the credit for those.

“Is this my son?” Neal questioned, and the girl arched her eyebrows in surprise.

“No” the boy stated, shaking his head “My dad was a fireman, he-he died” he added, as Yazi saw Emma approaching Henry with a look of utter guilt plastered in her face “That’s what you told me” Emma didn’t answer “You said…” he left his words in the air, and the girl’s heart sunk as realization hit. Neal gulped nervously. The mess was just getting bigger and bigger.

“Is this my son?” the woman placed her hands on Henry’s cheeks, caressing them softly. There was a pause.

“Yes”

* * *

 

“You okay?” Yazi asked worriedly, going out the window, to find Henry sitting on the stairs of the balcony. Emma had just gotten back from talking to him, and by the looks of it, it didn’t go well.

“She lied to me” he replied bitterly, making her look at him sympathetically “She’s just like Regina, all they do is lie” those were very harsh words, and Yazi wasn’t entirely sure he actually believed them; it was a polemic comparison, but she could also understand he was probably very hurt by the situation. Like anyone would be, it was natural. In fact, it would be weird if it wasn’t that way.

But there was another thought roaming in her mind at the moment. It wasn’t Bae...Neal, she should probably start calling him that.

It wasn’t that Neal, her old friend, was Henry’s father, or that he was the dark one’s son, or that Rumpelstiltskin was her best friend’s grandfather (Which was a very disturbing thought she didn’t want to think about again).

It was the fact that she had hidden something as well, and she didn’t know what her best friend might think. But after the disappointment he felt, she thought he deserved some sort of truth.

“I did too” she spoke up, and he looked at her with a frown “When I said I wasn’t fast enough to catch him, I was”

“Did you talk to him?” the boy asked, and so far he didn’t look upset, or maybe she just wanted to believe that.

“I did, but that’s not it” she stated, shaking her head “I...I met him before the dark curse” he gave her a curious look “We were...Friends. And one day, he told me his father had abandoned him for power”

“Mr. Gold”

“Yeah” she nodded in agreement “He didn’t want anything do with him or magic. He didn’t want to see him ever again, he hated him” she made a pause, and when Henry didn’t say anything, she kept going “When I agreed to come on this trip, I didn’t know he was Rumplestiltskin’s son. If I had, I would have never done it. I didn’t want to drag him back into this, especially after how hard he tried to forget it”

“So that’s why you hid it?” Henry asked, and he didn’t sound angry, like she thought he would.

“I wanted to tell you, but Gold was always lurking around, so I had to be cautious”

“You wanted to help my dad, I understand” he commented with a smile, and it was so weird to hear him call Neal that, but she would probably have to get used to it “That’s not selfish, you could never be” the girl smiled, her heart full with his compliment, but she knew it wasn’t entirely true. She had been selfish, multiple times before, especially when she first came to the land without magic, she just chose not to elaborate on it.

Both of them were quiet for a moment, the only noise they could hear was the cars down below.

“You know Emma loves you, right?” she asked quietly.

“But she still lied”

“I’m sure she didn’t mean to hurt you” she replied softly, and when Henry didn’t answer she took it as a closure on the topic “Look on the bright side, at least now you know who your dad is” his smile came back, which made her smile as well.

He finally knew all about his family, the thing he longed the most for his entire life; even if the circumstances weren’t the best, at least he knew the truth. That’s what mattered.

* * *

 

Yazi looked around the pizza place as Neal and her waited for their small pizza to be delivered to them. People were sitting at some of the tables chatting lively, and the smell of freshly baked crust filled the air, it almost made her mouth water. She remembered perfectly well what it tasted like, despite not being there in a very long time.

She looked back at Neal, who was also gazing around, probably trying to spot Henry walking around the place. Yazi forgot for a minute that the only time he had left Storybrooke was to find Emma in Boston, so he was probably very curious about the things New York offered, and with good reason.

She reflected for a moment; she had been waiting to talk to Neal about everything that had happened privately, and now that they were alone it could be her chance.

“I’m sorry” she finally admitted, loud enough so he could hear her over the noise. And she accomplished it, because it made him give her a curious look.

“What for?” he questioned, shifting on his spot against the counter to face her.

“You didn’t want to see your father ever again, and I just dragged him right back into your life” she replied remorsefully “I feel awful”

“Don’t be” he stated, shaking his head in assurance as he placed his hands inside his jean pockets “You didn’t know it was him” she knew that, but it still didn’t feel right. And if there was one thing she knew about Rumplestiltskin, is that he never gave up until he got what he wanted, even if it went against everyone’s wishes. And in this case, what he wanted was to mend the relationship with his son, a relationship that was destroyed because of him in the first place. And it didn’t seem like her old friend was willing to give him a second chance, which she couldn’t argue against. If it had been anyone else, then she would consider it, but not with him “And besides, it’s not that bad. I got to see you again” she smiled slightly.

“And Emma” she added, and the look he gave her was priceless. He seemed awkward, but slightly concerned at the same time “Don’t look at me like that” she replied, feeling slightly awkward herself but doing her best to hide it as she looked to the side, towards two girls playing with some dolls in one of the tables “I’m fine” she added, and she wasn’t lying “We met over thirty years ago, remember?” she stated, meeting his gaze once again “I’m glad you moved on” he looked at her gratefully “Besides” she folded her arms “You’re 300 years older than me, it would’ve never worked” she heard him chuckle, which brought a smile to her face.

“That’s funny coming from you” he commented, and she arched her eyebrows in a challenging manner.

“What does that mean?”

“You were frozen in time for twenty eight years"

“And I don’t look a day over thirteen” she replied jokingly, and he shook his head in amusement, which made her smile.

When Henry first invited her to come with his father to grab some pizza, she wasn’t entirely convinced. She thought it’d be uncomfortable, and that she would be intruding in their bonding, which was very much something they needed to do. But standing here with Neal, joking like they used to do when they first met, it didn’t really feel wrong. A lot of things had changed, obviously, but she was glad to see that their friendship remained the same even after all those years. She had missed it, she just hoped he had as well.

“This place is huge!” they heard Henry’s voice beside them, and they turned to look at his lit up face. Yazi was glad he didn’t seem as upset as he did before, Neal probably had something to do with that. He was quite good at cheering people up, he did it for her many times before.

“And you haven’t seen the best of it” his father commented, as he took the box one of the employees handed him behind the counter “Thank you” he stated, as the three began to walk back to Mr. Gold and Emma, who had been waiting outside.

“The museum is still here, right?” Yazi suddenly wondered, as Neal as he handed the two of them a slice of pizza each.

“If it was taken down, people would revolt” Neal replied, as he took a bite of his own slice.

“Maybe we could show it to Henry” she suggested, before looking at her best friend “What do you think?” there were very few people their age interested in museums, but with Henry’s curiosity she was sure he would love to see it.

Besides, she wanted to see it as well. She didn’t know how long they would be in New York, but she wanted to do as much as she possibly could before leaving, especially since she didn’t know whether she’d ever come back.

“Sure!” he replied excitedly, making her smile.

“Great”

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so a little backstory like I do at the beginning of every fanfiction I write. This story has been in my drafts for around three years now, back then I was obsessed with Once Upon A Time, I think season 4B had just began airing when I began getting ideas for a possible fanfiction. Then, I stopped watching OUAT for a while since it didn’t seem that appealing to me, but now that it’s done I recently began catching up with all the seasons and fell in love with it all over again. At least seasons 1-5A, as I publish this I am still watching 5B, have around five episodes left to finish it.
> 
> So, this is how the organization of this story will work: for seasons one and two, I will not write all episodes, just some that are relevant to my character. Maybe it’ll be like 5-6 chapters per season, some that have nothing to do with the plot of the story but to the development of Yazi and her relationship with Henry, and while there will be romance, they’re still kids in the first three seasons so it won’t happen just like that. Patience is key here. Season three and forward, most of the episodes will be written, with my own twists of course, otherwise it’s just another rewrite. 
> 
> And as you might have noticed, I raised up their ages slightly, instead of ten they’re both twelve, which I need for the development of the future relationship.


End file.
